WALES

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Paul Murphy: None.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not employ financial advisers. The HR team can talk to staff about pension options and provide information, but are not qualified to advise on their individual financial circumstances or retirement needs. They will always advise the individual to discuss their pension options (including added years and AVCs) with a qualified Independent Financial Adviser before making a decision.

Employment

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent estimate he has made of the effects of globalisation on levels of employment in  (a) Wales and  (b) Blaenau Gwent.

Paul Murphy: The effects of globalisation on employment in Wales must be seen as both a challenge and a significant opportunity.
	The Government are working to maximise the gains to the UK economy from globalisation while at the same time attempting to mitigate the downside risks associated with globalisation, by raising productivity and competitiveness.
	In relation to overseas markets the Government and National Assembly for Wales seek every opportunity to maximise export and inward investment opportunities.

SCOTLAND

Barnett Formula

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the mechanisms by which the Barnett formula operates.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions concerning a range of topics with my right hon. Friend.

Welfare Reform

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the likely effects of welfare reform on people in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend on a range of issues, including the measures in the Welfare Reform Bill. The reforms will give people the help they need to move away from a life on benefits, and put in place a new conditionality regime for those people who are able to work with the right support.

Job Losses

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of trends in numbers of job losses in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The trends in claimant count in Scotland are in the range of a low of 67,700 in 1974 to a high of 334,000 in January 1987. Today there are 97,000 people on jobseeker's allowance in Scotland.

Forth Crossing

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on UK Government assistance for the financing of the construction of a new Forth crossing.

Jim Murphy: I plan to meet shortly with my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary and Mr. John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary in the Scottish Government to discuss funding for this vitally important project.

High-speed Rail Link

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on a high-speed rail link between London and Scotland.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I hold regular discussions with ministerial colleagues across Government about a wide range of issues.

National Minimum Wage

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on steps to ensure that businesses in Scotland are complying with the requirement to pay the national minimum wage.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. We are committed to effective national minimum wage enforcement through new penalties contained within the Employment Act 2008, awareness raising initiatives and an increased enforcement budget.

European Social Fund

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Executive Ministers on the use of the European social fund in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: I, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, have had no recent discussions with Scottish Ministers concerning the use of the European social fund in Scotland. European social fund money for Scotland goes directly from the European Commission to Scottish Ministers and it is up to them whether they wish to use this money to provide, for example, careers advice, skills training and support for unemployed people in Scotland. The UK Government have committed to doing this for people in England.

Digital Switchover

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on digital switchover in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a range of issues, including digital switchover. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport visited the Borders region in advance of Scotland's first digital switchover last autumn and met with local council and interest groups. My right hon. Friends are hosting a broadcasting summit in Glasgow on the 19 March which will be attended by numerous representatives of Scotland's broadcasting and creative industries.

Local Government Finance

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on mechanisms for allocating the block grant to Scotland in 2010 and 2011.

Jim Murphy: There are no plans to change the mechanism of payment of the Scottish block grant.

Retained Firefighters

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues for the purposes of agreeing the UK's position in EU discussions on the effect on retained firefighters in Scotland of an end to the voluntary opt-out from the provisions of the EU working time directive.

Ann McKechin: There have been no specific discussions. However, the UK Government will continue to work with the Scottish Government on this matter. Protecting communities across Scotland, and the UK, is our top priority.
	The amendments to the Common Position voted by the European Parliament on 17 December are the latest step in a complex negotiation. Implementation of the working time directive, by setting a 48-hour maximum to the working week, would greatly reduce the hours which firefighters working the retained duty system could be available for duty. The UK Government therefore place great importance on retaining their opt-out from the directive.

Departmental Internet

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hits his Department's blog has received in each month since its launch.

Ann McKechin: The number of visits to the Secretary of State's blog each month since its launch in October 2008 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Month  Number of hits 
			 October 2008 5,077 
			 November 2008 4,910 
			 December 2008 4,450 
			 January 2009 5,142

Departmental Internet

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to publicise its blog; and what the cost of such activity was.

Ann McKechin: The Secretary of State launched his blog:
	http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/secretary-of-state-blog/
	on 6 October 2008. It was publicised by press notice as part of the departmental press office's routine communications activity, and as such it is not possible to provide a discrete cost.

Departmental Overseas Visits

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many overseas visits Ministers in his Department have undertaken in the last 12 months; to which destinations; and how many departmental staff accompanied the Minister on each occasion.

Ann McKechin: In the last 12 months the following overseas visits have taken place:
	
		
			  Date  Minister  Destination  Departmental staff 
			 August 2008 Minister of State for Scotland Norway 2 
			 November 2008 Secretary of State for Scotland Iceland 3 
			 December 2008 Secretary of State for Scotland Germany 1

Departmental Training

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what  (a) training,  (b) coaching and  (c) personal development courses each Minister in his Department has received since 2005; and what the cost of providing this training was.

Ann McKechin: Since 2005, Ministers in the Scotland Office have received training in Presentation and Public Speaking Skills and have participated in Introduction Workshops for New Ministers.

Departmental Written Questions

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to answer Questions  (a) 248515 and  (b) 248516 tabled on 13 January 2009, on his Department's blog.

Ann McKechin: These parliamentary questions were answered today.

TRANSPORT

British Railways Board (Residuary): Parking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the workplace parking charges being introduced by Nottingham city council will be passed on to staff members in whole or in part of British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd where those staff have offices located within the workplace parking charging zone.

Paul Clark: No decision has been taken by Ministers on whether or not to confirm Nottingham city council's workplace parking levy order. It would not be appropriate, while the scheme is being considered, to speculate on the implications of the city council's proposals for any employers located in Nottingham or their staff.

Compulsory Purchase: Hagley

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the compulsory purchase of the Prince of Wales public house at Stourbridge Road, Hagley, Worcestershire; how much has been spent on  (a) compensation payments,  (b) legal costs,  (c) provision of a mobile unit in the car park, including associated personnel costs and  (d) other costs in connection with the purchase; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Prince of Wales Public House was purchased by the Highways Agency on 14 July 1993 for £325,000 following a request from the owner to purchase under blight provisions in connection with the A449/A456 Kidderminster-Blakedown-Hagley bypass. A breakdown of this amount by compensation payment and legal costs is currently unavailable because the information is archived.
	The total cost of the mobile unit and associated on site security to date is £30,660.
	Other costs include management fees to the Highways Agency's managing agents to date of £24,194, and legal costs of £110,647 which were incurred in connection with protracted legal proceedings culminating in a High Court hearing to obtain vacant possession following the lease of the property. Costs were awarded to the Highways Agency and they are seeking to recover them.
	The property is now surplus and will be sold.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Fines

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has collected in fines from vehicle owners for failure to notify change of ownership in the most recent year for which figures are available; for what purpose this money has been used; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During the period January 2008 to December 2008 the DVLA collected £1,943,667 in fines as a result of failure to notify change of keeper.
	All money collected is returned to Treasury.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps he has taken to reduce the number of people who drive without insurance.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Measures introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 gave the police improved access to the motor insurance database. This enabled them to have data on uninsured vehicles for use with their automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) equipment. The police were also given powers to seize, and in appropriate cases destroy, vehicles being driven uninsured. In 2007 around 150,000 vehicles were seized.
	The Road Safety Act 2006 introduced a new offence of being a registered keeper of a vehicle for which there is no valid motor insurance. Further regulations are required to bring the provisions into force. We are consulting on these and the details of the proposed scheme for Continuous Insurance Enforcement.
	Rather than relying on the police to spot vehicles in use, Continuous Insurance Enforcement would identify uninsured drivers by frequent comparison of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle register and the insurance industry's database. Those that ignore warning reminders that their insurance has expired and take no action would be sent a fixed penalty notice and fine of £100, and may be liable to court prosecution, the vehicle clamped, impounded and disposed of.

Driving under Influence

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on reducing the drink-drive limit from its current level in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have received a number of representations for and against reducing the prescribed alcohol limit for driving. On 20 November 2008, we published a paper, Road Safety Compliance Consultation, inviting views on the matter, and expect a range of responses by the deadline of 27 February. An analysis of the responses we receive will be published in due course.

Heathrow Airport

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold discussions with the Mayor of London on the future expansion of Heathrow airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, has regular meetings with the Mayor of London. These cover a broad range of London transport issues. It is likely that this could include the development of Heathrow airport.

Public Transport: Rural Areas

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government have taken to improve public transport provision for rural communities.

Paul Clark: h olding answer 3 February 2009
	We are supporting the provision of rural bus services by means of Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG), which is now paid to local authorities as part of their area-based funding. Since its introduction in 1998, over £500 million has been made available for the support of rural bus services in this way; £57 million has been allocated this year.
	In addition, a total of £110 million has been awarded to authorities successful under the Rural Bus Challenge (RBC) programme from 1998 to 2003. This scheme has encouraged the development of innovative solutions to meeting rural transport needs. Many of the 300 projects initially supported by RBC funding are now continuing with mainstream funding from local authorities and other sources.
	The rules for the route registration of local bus services have been amended. This has enabled the introduction of flexibly routed, demand-responsive bus services. We also extended to these services eligibility to receive Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) from the Department for Transport. BSOG eligibility has also been extended to include community transport operators, with over 1,000 operators, many in rural areas, now claiming BSOG.
	The Local Transport Act 2008 includes a number of important steps to enable local authorities to secure better local bus services in rural and urban areas alike by means of:
	more effective partnerships with bus operators
	making the introduction of quality contracts (i.e. franchising as in London) a more realistic option
	a new regime to deliver improved punctuality
	measures to support development of the community transport sector and to extend to the Private Hire Vehicle sector the ability to provide taxibuses
	The Department has implemented the community rail policy on many rural routes, particularly branch lines. This policy aims to bring together the efforts of the train operating company, Network Rail (NR), the local authority and also local communities to put local or rural services on a steady footing by working together to promote and support local rail operations, increase patronage and awareness of the service. In each individual case, the route is assessed and designated as a 'Community Rail' route, supported by a Community Rail Partnership.

Railways: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) injuries and  (b) deaths have occurred in accidents on railway crossings in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the UK in each year since 1998.

Paul Clark: The data below are based on incidents reported to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). Figures for 2008 are provisional and may change with the receipt of coroners' findings for inquests that are currently outstanding.
	The following tables cover incidents at level crossings in Great Britain, as the ORR is not responsible for rail safety in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  Table: 1 Fatalities and injuries at level crossings 1998-2008( 1)  (excluding trespassers and suicides) Great Britain 
			   Fatalities  Lancashire figures  Injuries  Lancashire figures  Total  Lancashire figures 
			 1998 13 1 40 2 53 3 
			 1999 11 1 26 0 37 1 
			 2000 13 0 28 0 41 0 
			 2001 10 0 20 2 30 2 
			 2002 14 1 32 1 46 2 
			 2003 16 1 26 0 42 1 
			 2004 16 0 64 0 80 0 
			 2005 15 0 21 0 36 0 
			 2006 8 0 28 1 36 1 
			 2007 11 0 14 0 25 0 
			 2008(1) 15 0 27 0 42 0 
			 (1) Provisional figures 
		
	
	
		
			  Table :  2 Fatalities and injuries to trespassers and suicid es at level crossings 1998-200 8( 1)  Great Britain 
			  Year  Fatalities  Lancashire figures  Injuries  Lancashire figures  Total  Lancashire figures 
			 1998 12 0 0 0 12 0 
			 1999 8 1 0 0 8 1 
			 2000 9 0 2 0 11 0 
			 2001 10 0 3 1 13 1 
			 2002 13 0 0 0 13 0 
			 2003 15 1 0 0 15 1 
			 2004 12 0 1 0 13 0 
			 2005 20 2 3 1 23 3 
			 2006 19 1 0 0 19 1 
			 2007 17 0 0 0 17 0 
			 2008(1) 15 1 2 0 17 1 
			 (1) Provisional figures

Railways: Bus Services

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of rail replacement bus services in each of the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: holding answer 3 February 2009
	Only one rail replacement bus service is funded by the Department for Transport. This is the service between Ealing Broadway and Wandsworth Road. Estimate of cost for this service since the start of operation in December 2008 is £1,410 in December 2008 and £1,880 in January 2009.
	The rules for the route registration of local bus services have been amended. This has enabled the introduction of flexibly routed, demand-responsive bus services. We also extended to these services eligibility to receive bus service operators grant (BSOG) from the Department for Transport. BSOG eligibility has also been extended to include community transport operators, with over 1,000 operators, many in rural areas, now claiming BSOG.
	The Local Transport Act 2008 includes a number of important steps to enable local authorities to secure better local bus services in rural and urban areas alike by means of:
	more effective partnerships with bus operators;
	making the introduction of quality contracts (i.e. franchising as in London) a more realistic option;
	a new regime to deliver improved punctuality; and
	measures to support development of the community transport sector and to extend to the private hire vehicle sector the ability to provide taxibuses.
	The Department has implemented the community rail policy on many rural routes, particularly branch lines. This policy aims to bring together the efforts of the train operating company, Network Rail (NR), the local authority and also local communities to put local or rural services on a steady footing by working together to promote and support local rail operations, increase patronage and awareness of the service. In each individual case, the route is assessed and designated as a 'community rail' route, supported by a community rail partnership.

Railways: Freight

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the environment of the decision to reduce funding for rail freight schemes.

Paul Clark: The Government are not reducing funding for rail freight. We have recently announced additional funding of £67 million to the Sustainable Distribution Fund. £61 million of this is allocated to the capital budget from which the freight facilities grant allocations are made, and in the last 18 months the Government have announced record levels of rail freight investment to support continued growth including £200 million towards the development of a strategic freight network and over £150 million of funding towards the provision of infrastructure enhancement for freight through the Productivity Transport Innovation Fund.

Railways: Scotland

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of  (a) demand for a high-speed rail link between London and Scotland and  (b) the effect of such a rail link on levels of demand for domestic flights.

Paul Clark: A new company, High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. has been formed to develop the case for high speed services between London and Scotland
	As a first stage, the company is expected to bring forward proposals for Britain's second new high speed line, between London and the West Midlands, by the end of the year, and to consider the potential for new lines to serve the North of England and Scotland.
	The company will need to assess the likely environmental impact and business case of different routes—including the propensity for modal shift from road, air, and conventional rail.

Roads: Accidents

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many  (a) deaths and  (b) serious injuries have been attributed to drivers speeding in the last (i) six months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) five years;
	(2)  how many deaths of children under 13 years old have been attributed to drivers speeding in the last  (a) six months,  (b) 12 months and  (c) five years;
	(3)  how many deaths  (a) in total and  (b) of children under 13 years old have been attributed to drivers speeding in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) killed and  (b) seriously injured casualties and  (c) deaths of children under 13 years old resulting from reported personal injury road accidents, where either 'exceeding speed limit' or 'travelling too fast for conditions' was recorded as a contributory factor are given in the table for each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   All casualties  Children under 13 old years 
			   Killed  Seriously injured   Killed 
			 2005 793 5,024 — 9 
			 2006 856 4,998 — 22 
			 2007 727 4,555 — 8 
			 Total 2,376 14,577  39 
			  Note:  Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported. 
		
	
	Information regarding contributory factors is only available from 2005. Data for 2008 will be available from the end of June 2009.

Roads: Tolls

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1105W, on tolls, whether the local authorities in road pricing demonstration project areas were consulted about the decision to conduct the demonstrations in their areas.

Paul Clark: Neither the Government nor their contractors have consulted the local authorities whose boundaries will be used as the framework for data collection within this research project, nor is there a requirement to do so. The locations for the trial activity chosen by our contractors will have no bearing on the project results.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated for new rolling stock in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

Paul Clark: In July 2007, the Department for Transport issued a statement of funds available for implementing its high level output specification (£10 billion) during Control Period 4 (2009-14). This includes provision for procurement of 1,300 additional coaches. The phasing of expenditure by year which depends on the delivery and implementation programme is not yet finally determined.

Tintwistle Hollingworth and Mottram Bypass

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations he has met to discuss the Mottram Tintwistle bypass.

Paul Clark: The Secretary of State for Transport has so far met Tameside metropolitan borough council to discuss the Mottram-Tintwhistle bypass. In recent years Ministers in the Department for Transport have met a number of stakeholders to discuss the same scheme.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Birds of Prey: Genetics

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what process his Department has put in place for the use of DNA testing to track the movement of peregrine falcons and merlins suspected of having been taken illegally from the wild after they have been sold on to new owners.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 319W to my hon. Friend the member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Ms Smith).

British Airports Authority

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) meetings and  (b) correspondence (i) he, (ii) other Ministers in his Department and (iii) officials in his Department have had with representatives from BAA since 3 October 2008; when each meeting took place; who attended each meeting; and what the subject of each meeting was.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 29 January 2009
	DEFRA Ministers have had no meetings with BAA since 3 October 2008.
	DEFRA officials attended a meeting on 13 November 2008 with the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee at which representatives of BAA were present, and in which DEFRA officials made a presentation about the public consultation on the guidance for airport operators to produce action plans under the terms of Environmental Noise Regulations 2006.
	In relation to correspondence, Richard Norman replied on behalf of BAA to the DEFRA Consultation on the Guidance for Airport Operators to produce action plans under the terms of the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006. There has not been any subsequent correspondence from DEFRA to BAA.

Common Fisheries Policy

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1587W, on the Common Fisheries Policy, 
	(1)  when he plans  (a) to complete a detailed impact assessment of the proposals and  (b) formally to consult on the proposals; and if will make a statement;
	(2)  when he plans to make a formal response to the Council of Ministers and the European Commission on Article 47 of the proposed Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy;
	(3)  with reference to the provisions of Article 47 of the proposed Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, how much quota he plans to allocate to recreational sea anglers, broken down by species in each fishing area and expressed as a percentage of overall national quota; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My officials are currently engaged in discussions with the EU presidency, the Commission and other member states over the detail of the Commission's proposal for a council regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. As part of that discussion, officials will be asking the Commission for further clarification on the intent of article 47. Once we have that clarification, we will be able to better understand the potential impact of article 47 as drafted, including the implications for quota, and can then respond formally to the council. My intention is to consult on the proposal by the end of February. An initial impact assessment will form part of that consultation.

Departmental Catering

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which  (a) food and  (b) drinks suppliers have been used by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much his Department paid to each such supplier in each of those years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, the Department's expenditure with its major catering services providers in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Supplier  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 April to November 
			 Baxter Storey 1,791,601.00 1,799,984.00 1,160,628.00 
			 Eurest 335,595.00 508,593.00 340,234.00 
			 Mellors 66,861.20 79,595.73 84,370.00 
			 Aramark 88,434.00 91,985.00 41,677.00 
			 ABM 18,901.00 19,846.00 12,304.00 
			 Just Deli 43,351.00 45,519.00 29,436.00 
			 Star 12,440.00 13,060.00 9,140.00 
		
	
	The ratio of food to beverages expenditure is 55 per cent. to 45 per cent. A detailed analysis of the breakdown of the expenditure on food and beverages across all sites and for all suppliers could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy that temporary and permanent employees of his Department employed at the same grade receive the same hourly rate of pay.

Huw Irranca-Davies: It is the policy of DEFRA and its Executive agencies that both temporary and permanent employees appointed to the same grade are paid within the same pay range. Temporary employees are defined as those employed directly by the department or its agencies and does not include individuals sub-contracted through a third party.
	Differences in hourly pay rates between temporary and permanent employees can occur within the same pay range due to a number of business reasons. Permanent members of staff have more opportunity to progress higher up the pay range due to the likelihood of their being in post for longer and receiving more annual pay awards.
	Differences can also occur in hourly pay rates when employees, within the same grade and pay range, are appointed on pay rates above the minimum of the pay range due to the skills and experience that they bring to the position.

Environment Protection: Demolition

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which body is responsible for  (a) monitoring the environmental impact of demolition sites and  (b) ensuring that correct procedures are followed in the disposal of hazardous waste from building material at such sites.

Jane Kennedy: The main body responsible for monitoring the environmental impact of demolition sites is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Some responsibility may also lie with the local authority (e.g. nuisance).
	Waste producers have a responsibility under Duty of Care which is monitored by the Environment Agency. All wastes must go to appropriate sites that are permitted by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency checks compliance at these sites. Much of the waste from demolition is not disposed of but re-used and recycled.

Fisheries: Quotas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his Department's Marine Programme Plan for 2008-09, whether the quota reform task group has been established.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Access to fisheries is being considered as part of the wider common fisheries policy reform process which is now underway, and due for completion in 2012. The UK governance framework for this negotiation will ensure all stakeholders get the opportunity to feed in their views.
	In addition, I have recently announced my intention to establish a more targeted advisory group, including industry and community representatives, to support work to achieve our goal of sustainable access to inshore fisheries. I expect this group to be set up by the spring. This work is closely aligned with the work on CFP reform and long term reform of the wider UK industry.

Fisheries: Quotas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the draft proposals of the Quota Management Change Programme (QMCP) produced prior to the withdrawal of the Scottish Executive from the QMCP; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Discussions on the quota management change programme were incomplete when the Scottish Executive withdrew from the process in June 2007. Moreover, subsequent developments have in any case overtaken certain aspects of these discussions. Therefore, I do not intend to publish documents relating to these internal discussions.

Fisheries: Quotas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the inclusion of recreational sea angling catches in national quota derives from recommendations of the Quota Management Change Programme.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No. The proposal to count recreational sea angling catches, in certain circumstances, against a member state's quota forms part of the recently published Commission proposal for a Council regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. The UK Government had no discussions with the Commission prior to the publication of the proposal.

Fisheries: Quotas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to his Department's Marine Programme Plan for 2008-09, when he plans to consult on the principles of quota separation; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Last year, the Scottish Executive put forward a number of proposals to amend the existing quota management arrangements. We have yet to see any firm proposals following their consultation last year. The current quota management and licensing rules and management arrangements remain in place.
	It is my strong preference to take forward discussions on quota management and licensing arrangements reform through the wider discussions on common fisheries policy (CFP) reform, now under way. This is the best way to make sure we end up with a workable approach that reflects the needs of all four Administrations and ensures we engage with the Commission and other member states productively throughout the negotiation, and that the wishes of the UK are fully reflected in the final outcome.

Floods: Motorways

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 29-30W, on floods, which stretches of motorway have a significant flood risk probability according to the Environment Agency's flood vulnerability database.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The flood vulnerability database draws heavily on information held by other parties, and provides a summary of vulnerability to flooding in each 100 metres of land in England and Wales.
	Information on motorways at risk of flooding was provided by publicly available ordinance survey data. However to geographically identify and describe each section of motorway at significant flood risk would incur disproportionate cost.
	In response to the floods of 2007 and Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations the Highways Agency has been investigating the resilience of the strategic road network to flooding. The Highways Agency is currently reviewing the Environment Agency's fluvial flood risk maps and information on 'Areas Susceptible to Surface Water Flooding' to identify vulnerable locations and develop appropriate contingency measures. This work is ongoing.

Food: Procurement

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to announce a review of the public sector food procurement initiative.

Jane Kennedy: h olding answer 29 January 2009
	 : DEFRA commissioned an evaluation of the public sector food procurement initiative (PSFPI) in October 2008. The evaluation is looking at what has worked well, what could be improved and will provide recommendations for the future. The final report of the evaluation is due in early February, after which we intend to publish the key findings and our response to its recommendations.

Food: Public Sector

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1130W, on 10 Downing Street: catering, what the remit of the public sector food procurement initiative is; and whether the initiative has adopted a policy on using genetically-modified food and ingredients.

Jane Kennedy: The PSFPI's remit is explained in the guide "Putting it into practice" that can be seen at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/resources.htm.
	The primary aim is to support the Government's Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy for England, which aims to deliver a world class sustainable farming and food sector that contributes to a better environment and healthier, prosperous communities.
	DEFRA's catering toolkit asks public bodies to specify in contracts that suppliers: "Clearly label any genetically modified products used, including the presence of any genetically modified ingredients used in the preparation of the food".
	This is consistent with the Food Standard Agency's advice on EC Regulation 1829/2003 (GM Food and Feed Regulation) that requires all foods that either consist of or contain live GMOs or foods or ingredients derived from GMOs to be labelled and traceable throughout the food supply chain.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the operation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency, with particular reference to the administration of its operational programmes.

Jane Kennedy: No such assessment has been made.

Noise: Pollution

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on how local authorities should deal with noise complaints.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has issued the following guidance on how local authorities should deal with noise complaints:
	Guidance to Local Authorities in England—Noise Offence Act for licensed premises;
	Neighbourhood Noise Policies and Practice for Local Authorities—A Management Guide (jointly with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health);
	Guidance on Section 69 to 81 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
	These can all be found on the DEFRA website.

Pet Travel Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pets have entered the UK from abroad in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The total number of pets entering the UK through quarantine or under the PETS scheme is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 82,983 
			 2006 94,289 
			 2007 102,233

Pigmeat

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with pork retailers and processors on proposals for a fully integrated supply chain for pork products.

Jane Kennedy: Ministers in DEFRA have for several years promoted with retailers and processors the benefits of strong supply chain relationships for agricultural products including pork. I met with pork processors on 11 December 2008 and meet regularly with retailers to discuss a range of issues including supply chain. I welcome the recent report of the EFRA Committee into the State of the English Pig Industry and I am studying its recommendations carefully.

Recycling

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of trained local authority recycling officers.

Jane Kennedy: It is the local authorities' responsibility to recruit and train their staff, including recycling officers. However, the Waste and Resources Action Programme under its Local Authority Support Programme can provide support and guidance to officers on operational, communications and waste prevention activities.

Recycling: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to introduce statutory targets for levels of recycling by local authorities.

Jane Kennedy: Statutory Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) targets for levels of recycling by local authorities were last set for 2007-08.
	These were replaced in April 2008 by the new National Indicators. These are now the only measures on which central Government will manage outcomes delivered by local government working alone or in partnership.
	DEFRA has no plans to reintroduce any additional targets for levels of recycling by local authorities.

Rodents

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of changes to the rat population in each of the last four years; what provision his Department makes for the removal of  (a) rats and  (b) other vermin by local authorities; and what information his Department holds on the charges applicable.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The latest report on rodent presence in domestic properties as revealed by the English House Condition Survey data for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is available on DEFRA's website. Key findings are that the occurrences of rats inside and outside properties in these years are not significantly different from those observed in 2001.
	Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that their districts are kept so far as practicable free from rats and mice. Should local authorities fail to discharge their responsibilities under the 1949 Act, DEFRA has certain default powers to initiate action.

Sewers: Fats

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of sewer blockages caused by used cooking oil, fat, soils and greases in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Water UK, the representative body for the water industry, estimates that there are on average around 200,000 sewer blockages in England and Wales each year, of which fats, oils and greases are responsible for up to 75 per cent.

Soil: EU Action

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions are planned with his European Union counterparts on the draft Soil Framework Directive.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Discussions on the draft Soil Framework Directive have been ongoing at official level since the German presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2007. DEFRA officials have taken part in bilateral meetings with like-minded and other member states to explain UK concerns. Discussions have also been held at ministerial level with a number of member states, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
	Member states were unable to reach a common position at the Environment Council in December 2007. Since then, the UK has continued to engage in discussions both officially and at ministerial level, and will continue actively to do so in the light of the Czech presidency's indication that it intends to seek political agreement at the June 2009 Environment Council.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisation has managed each project funded by his Department in Helmand province since 2005; what the budget of each was; how much has been spent in each case; what monitoring, impact assessments and evaluations have been undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK took responsibility for Helmand province through the establishment of a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in 2006. The PRT combines the efforts of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a comprehensive approach to development. Accordingly, the PRT delivers reconstruction and development projects from a tri-departmental budget managed jointly by FCO, DflD and MoD. £7.04 million was spent in 2006-07 and £9.99 million in 2007-08 from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool. To date, £14.08 million (of a Stabilisation Aid Fund budget of £34.41 million) has been spent in 2008-09. Prior to the establishment of the PRT in 2006 there was no specific allocation of funding to Helmand province.
	The tri-departmental funding facilitates a range of projects in Counter Narcotics, Rule of Law, Strategic Communications, Governance, Political activities and Area Based Stabilisation. These projects are administered in Lashkar Gah or London dependent on the implementing agent. Projects are managed through a range of partners including the Afghan government, local community organisations, international or local non-governmental organisations or external contractors. Programmes are reviewed and updated monthly by an official in our Embassy in Kabul and the PRT in Lashkar Gah. Projects are evaluated at six-monthly intervals.
	In addition to this tri-departmental budget the FCO spent £17,000 in 2007-08 from its bilateral programme fund, on Helmand specific projects.

Burma: Religious Freedom

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the State Peace and Development Council in Burma on its recent order to close churches in Rangoon.

Bill Rammell: We are concerned that the Burmese regime has imposed restrictions on churches and other places of worship for religious minorities in Rangoon. We condemn the marginalisation or persecution of any community based on their religious beliefs. The regime's actions are part of a wider deterioration of the human rights situation in Burma and the UK will continue to ask the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices mission and representatives of the UN human rights bodies to raise our concerns with the State Peace and Development Council.

China: Human Rights

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue meeting of 12 to 13 January was, with specific reference to Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Issues discussed at the recent human rights dialogue included China's co-operation with international human rights mechanisms, the death penalty, reform of the administrative detention system, religious freedom in Xinjiang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea border-crossers and freedom of expression. We held detailed discussions on disability and mental health issues, and the role of the prosecutor in the UK and China in upholding defendants' rights. We welcomed the decision to make permanent more liberal regulations on foreign journalists, but also raised our concerns about the continued detention of a signatory of charter 08. We handed over a list of 50 other individual cases and asked for further information about these. We urged China to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee Against Torture and to issue open invitations to UN Special Rapporteurs to visit China. With reference to Tibet, we made clear that we remain concerned about the apparent lack of due process for those in detention in Tibet, restrictions on freedom of religion and lack of transparency. We urged renewed dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve the underlying issues, and pressed for agreements on visits by foreign journalists and diplomats.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on national caveats applicable to the operations of troops deployed with the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Certain troop contributing countries to the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo have placed what the UN refers to as 'theatre specific restrictions' with regard to the geographical deployment of their troops and on mission chain of command. In my contacts with colleagues from troop contributing countries, I have encouraged them to be as flexible and responsive to the recent crisis as possible.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) decorating and  (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in the last five years; how much has been spent on wallpaper since 2001; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has spent the following on maintaining, decorating and improving departmental buildings, at home and overseas, for the financial years 2004-05 to 2007-08.
	
		
			   £ million 
			   Costs of maintai ning and decorating departmental b uildings  Cost of improving  d epartmental  b uildings 
			 2004-05 37.6 38.8 
			 2005-06 43.3 43.0 
			 2006-07 41.1 53.0 
			 2007-08 45.2 76.4 
		
	
	The cost of wallpaper is not recorded separately and figures prior to 2004-05 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The FCO maintains a forward programme for the upkeep of its UK estate as do our overseas posts. For 2008-09, the FCO has budgeted £17.4 million for building maintenance. Information about planned future expenditure by our overseas posts is not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Japan: Tourism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens visited Japan in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2006.

Bill Rammell: According to figures supplied by the Japanese Ministry of Justice, in 2007 192,148 British citizens and 30,681 British Nationals (Overseas) visited Japan. In 2006, 186,633 British citizens and 33,618 British Nationals (Overseas) visited Japan.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of suspension of Israel's application for membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development until allegations of war crimes during Israel's military operation on Gaza have been fully investigated; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched accession negotiations with Israel in 2007. Following the submission of Israel's initial memorandum, which sets out the current state of Israel compliance with the OECD body of law and best practice, negotiations have consisted so far of technical scrutiny of the memorandum. Any political issues about the Israeli accession will be considered once the technical phase is over.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of  (a) rockets and  (b) mortar shells fired at Israel by Hamas in each year since 2001.

Bill Rammell: According to the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs the number of rockets and mortars fired at Israel between 2001-08 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of rockets and mortars fired 
			 2001 249 
			 2002 292 
			 2003 420 
			 2004 1,157 
			 2005 417 
			 2006 968 
			 2007 1,645 
			 2008 3,102

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to restrict access to funding and resources on the part of Tamil forces.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 January 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or "Tamil Tigers" was proscribed by the then Home Secretary in 2001 under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. One of the consequences of proscription is that the resources of the organisation are defined as "terrorist property." The definition of "terrorist property" is money or other property likely to be used for the purposes of terrorism, including any resources of a proscribed organisation. As such, there are a number of provisions, also contained in the Terrorism Act 2000, which make it unlawful to carry out specified fundraising activities if the person intends or has reasonable cause to suspect that the money or property may be used for the purposes of terrorism. The specified activities include inviting another to provide money or other property, receiving money or other property, providing money or other property, or possessing money or other property.
	The LTTE is also subject to financial sanctions, i.e. an asset freeze, as a result of being both designated domestically by HM Treasury and listed under EU Council Decision 379.
	A wide range of law enforcement and other agencies conduct operations to prevent financial resources reaching terrorist organisations, and the investigation of alleged terrorist finance offences is a matter for the police.

Stem Cells: Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the seminar on stem cell research organised by the British Embassy in Israel on 26 and 27 March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.

Stem Cells: Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what files his Department holds on the seminar on stem cell research organised by the British Embassy in Israel on 26 and 27 March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: A brief report of the seminar was compiled by the science and innovation attaché at our embassy in Tel Aviv, which also has files covering the logistical arrangements for the seminar.

USA: Foreign Relations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to initiate contacts with the incoming US administration.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 19 January 2009
	The Government have excellent links with the incoming Administration. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has met President-elect Obama twice in 2008, and spoken to him on other occasions. We have long standing ties with Vice-President-elect Biden as well as the nominees for Secretaries of State, Defence and Treasury, as well as with nearly all other prospective Cabinet Secretaries. These strong Cabinet relations are mirrored at all levels, thanks to the work of our embassy in Washington and our other US posts in establishing, cultivating and building strong links with officials who will work in the White House and across the incoming Administration.

JUSTICE

Driving Under Influence

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority.

Maria Eagle: Available information held by the Ministry of Justice on convictions at all courts for offences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for the years 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is provided in the following table. Data for 2008 should be available in the autumn of 2009.
	The data provided cover both drink and drugs offences combined, as volumes of convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs cannot be provided separately.
	
		
			  Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc .  after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1) , by police force area, England and Wales, 2003-07( 2,3) 
			  Number of offences 
			   Findings of guilt 
			  Police force area  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,666 2,692 2,595 2,457 2,490 
			 Bedfordshire 1,072 1,028 1,050 1,152 1,064 
			 Cambridgeshire 933 1,083 1,214 1,268 1,240 
			 Cheshire 1,905 2,128 1,709 1,866 1,804 
			 Cleveland 981 1,071 959 1,032 948 
			 Cumbria 843 907 853 859 868 
			 Derbyshire 1,617 1,874 1,645 1,520 1,466 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,667 2,560 2,446 2,336 2,247 
			 Dorset 1,264 1,239 1,207 1,156 1,191 
			 Durham 1,170 1,277 1,168 1,002 1,051 
			 Essex 2,622 2,853 2,549 2,697 2,553 
			 Gloucestershire 890 913 834 812 725 
			 Greater Manchester 4,743 4,811 4,653 4,570 4,462 
			 Hampshire 3,663 3,743 3,372 2,993 2,974 
			 Hertfordshire 1,904 1,881 1,836 1,860 1,830 
			 Humberside 1,445 1,623 1,592 1,518 1,071 
			 Kent 2,811 3,010 2,907 2,824 2,836 
			 Lancashire 2,652 2,706 2,723 2,775 2,756 
			 Leicestershire 1,725 1,754 1,631 1,512 1,520 
			 Lincolnshire 1,111 1,209 1,176 1,274 1,233 
			 London, City of 230 169 184 168 189 
			 Merseyside 2,687 2,849 2,964 2,737 2,541 
			 Metropolitan Police 12,621 13,227 12,887 13,075 12,237 
			 Norfolk 1,274 1,240 1,265 1,335 1,246 
			 Northamptonshire 799 922 853 1,016 879 
			 Northumbria 2,747 2,675 2,561 2,559 2,482 
			 North Yorkshire 1,194 1,131 1,244 1,261 1,194 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,644 1,669 1,626 1,699 1,517 
			 South Yorkshire 2,089 2,224 2,220 2,019 2,023 
			 Staffordshire 1,733 1,733 1,718 1,657 1,704 
			 Suffolk 1,213 1,332 1,103 1,158 1,058 
			 Surrey 1,464 1,425 1,503 1,413 1,517 
			 Sussex 2,430 2,368 2,379 2,475 2,479 
			 Thames Valley 3,884 3,539 3,474 3,419 3,356 
			 Warwickshire 918 845 871 895 994 
			 West Mercia 1,797 1,689 1,917 2,008 1,904 
			 West Midlands 5,233 5,584 5,693 5,554 5,483 
			 West Yorkshire 3,720 3,897 3,863 3,587 3,429 
			 Wiltshire 1,031 1,024 1,038 1,028 816 
			 England 87,392 89,904 87,482 86,546 83,377 
			   
			 Dyfed Powys 995 986 932 927 906 
			 Gwent 1,149 1,188 1,129 1,188 1,097 
			 North Wales 1,326 1,349 1,364 1,335 1,297 
			 South Wales 2,840 2,811 2,811 2,675 2,546 
			 Wales 6,310 6,334 6,236 6,125 5,846 
			 England and Wales 93,702 96,238 93,718 92,671 89,223 
			 (1) Data provided cover summary offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot be reliably distinguished separately). (2 )It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: The Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of which offences contained in the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 penalty notices for disorder have been issued in the last three years.

Jack Straw: The offences for which a penalty notice for disorder (PNDs) is available, together with the numbers issued for each offence in 2005, 2006 and 2007 (the last three years for which confirmed data are available) are included in the following table. PND data for 2008 will be available in November 2009.
	
		
			  Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to offenders of all ages by of fence, England and Wales 2005- 07 
			  Offence  2005  2006  2007 
			  Higher Tier Offences (£80)
			 Wasting police time 2,525 3,933 3,966 
			 Misuse of public telecommunications system 405 909 1,193 
			 Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority 92 106 96 
			 Causing Harassment, alarm or distress 64,007 82,235 77,827 
			 Throwing fireworks(1) 642 682 649 
			 Drunk and disorderly(2) 37,038 43,556 46,996 
			 Criminal Damage (under £500)(3) 12,168 20,620 19,946 
			 Theft (retail under £200)(3) 21,997 38,772 45,146 
			 Breach of fireworks curfew(4) 33 53 39 
			 Possession of category 4 firework(4) 13 28 22 
			 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework(4) 47 76 106 
			 Sale of alcohol to drunken person(5) 32 47 81 
			 Supply of alcohol to a person under 18 3 60 54 
			 Sale of alcohol to a person under 18(3) 2,058 3,195 3,583 
			 Purchasing alcohol for a person under 18(3) 170 407 555 
			 Purchasing alcohol for a person under 18 for consumption on the premises 83 60 64 
			 Delivery of alcohol to a person under 18 or allowing such delivery(3) 209 297 431 
			 
			  Lower Tier Offences (£50)
			 Trespassing on a railway 220 1,042 1,527 
			 Throwing stones at a train/railway 20 15 25 
			 Drunk in a highway 3,138 2,712 2,066 
			 Consumption of alcohol in a designated public place 712 1,061 1,544 
			 Depositing and leaving litter(3) 737 1,169 1,374 
			 Consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises(3) 84 75 85 
			 Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises(3) 27 14 11 
			 Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18(5) 21 73 158 
			 
			  Totals
			 Total Higher Tier Offences 141,522 195,036 200,754 
			 Total Lower Tier Offences 4,959 6,161 6,790 
			 
			 Total all offences 146,481 201,197 207,544 
			 (1) Offence moved from the lower tier (£50) to the upper tier (£80) on 5 March 2004. (2) Offence moved from the tower tier (£50) to the upper tier (£80) on 1 November 2004. (3) Offence added with effect from 1 November 2004. (4) Offence added with effect from 11 October 2004. (5) Offence added with effect from 04 April 2005. (Note:) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Closure Orders: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions courts in Merseyside issued a closure order in 2008.

Bridget Prentice: On one occasion. Southport county court was closed from 4.00 pm on 23 December 2008 until 10.00 am on 2 January 2009.

Community Orders: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many community orders were issued in  (a) the area covered by Hambleton and Harrogate councils and (b) the North Yorkshire area in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006 and (v) 2007.

Maria Eagle: The available information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of community sentences issued in North Yorkshire police force area, 2003-07 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 All community sentences 2,434 2,547 2,842 2,598 2,712 
			 Of which community orders(1) n/a n/a 1,017 1,650 1,651 
			 n/a=Not available or Not Applicable (1 )Community orders were introduced on the 4th of April 2005 and are available for offences committed on or after that date, and for offenders aged 18 and over.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice Ref: PQ(OMSAS) 026-09 (28/01/2009) 
		
	
	Data held by the Ministry of Justice are available by Police Force Area (PFA) and the table shows the figures for North Yorkshire PFA. These data are made available for smaller areas because detailed checks on sentencing data are not carried out at court level.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Criminal Cases Review Commission plans to take to reduce its level of case accumulation; and how the Commission will monitor the effectiveness of those steps.

Maria Eagle: The Criminal Cases Review Commission expects to bring about further improvements in the number of applicants awaiting review and the time taken to review their cases by refining casework processes as part of an ongoing project.
	Since that project started three years ago, the number of cases waiting for review by the Commission and the average waiting time of each case has fallen significantly. For instance, in March 2005 there were 360 cases awaiting review. In December 2008—the last full month for which figures are available—there were 90.
	Between September 2005 and December 2008, the time that applicants in custody with complex cases had to wait for the review of their cases to begin fell from 20 months to six months.
	Casework trends are analysed and steps to bring about improvements are discussed in various forums including weekly meetings of the senior management team and monthly meetings of the full Commission. All non-confidential casework policies can be seen on the publications section of the Commission's website at
	www.ccrc.gov.uk

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how the Criminal Cases Review Commission measures the  (a) effectiveness,  (b) efficiency and  (c) economy of its policies.

Maria Eagle: The Commission's policies all feed into the performance of its core function—reviewing alleged miscarriages of justice. The effectiveness and efficiency is assessed through the performance of the Commission.
	The Commission uses a set of eight key performance indicators to help it monitor and manage performance. The indicators help the Commission measure waiting times, waiting lists and time taken to reach certain key stages in the life of each case such as time to allocation and time to completion. The Commission sets targets in each of these areas and measures its performance against those targets. Targets and performance are reviewed regularly by the Commission and the senior management team. Performance across most KPIs has improved substantially over the last two years.
	Commission policies are regularly reviewed with input from Commissioners and staff and revised as necessary.
	The KPIs are developed by managers and Commissioners and approved by the Commission. They appear in the CCRC business plan and are reported on annually in the annual report—both documents are available on the Commission's website at
	www.ccrc.gov.uk.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures apply to the  (a) recruitment,  (b) training and  (c) assessment of the welfare of the Criminal Cases Review Commission's expert staff.

Maria Eagle: The Commission's Recruitment and Equal Opportunities policies seek to ensure that all the Commission's recruitment activity is fair and open.
	The Commission provides in-house training for staff and Commissioners to share knowledge and expertise and promote good practice. The Commission also supports external training for staff in line with the aims of the organisation.
	The Commission takes seriously the welfare of all its staff. Human Resources staff and line managers are responsible for supporting staff dealing with various day-to-day welfare issues.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Criminal Cases Review Commission has taken to increase the public's understanding of its role.

Maria Eagle: The Commission issues a press release about every referral it makes to the appeal courts. The organisation, and its chair in particular, seek appropriate opportunities to engage with local and national media about the work of the Commission, miscarriages of justice in general and about individual cases as far as possible.
	Commissioners and Commission staff give regular presentations about the Commission and its work at universities, law clinics and at other events and venues.
	The Commission tends to focus on specific sections of the public likely to have an interest in its work and on reaching those who may have legitimate reason to make an application to the Commission for review of an alleged miscarriage of justice. For instance, the Commission holds stakeholder events for groups and individuals interested in the issues and runs an annual programme of visits to prisons of all kinds to increase informed awareness of the Commission among prisoners and prison staff. The Commission advertises in media directed at the prison population and is developing ways of feeding information and material into the training of prison officers providing legal advice to prisoners.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) asks new and re-employed civil servants to complete a pension questionnaire which enables them to be sent details of the pensions options available to them on joining the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). On the basis of their reply, information is subsequently provided to them on added years and additional voluntary contributions.
	For existing staff, information is available on the Ministry of Justice's intranet site. This site also directs staff to the Civil Service Pensions website and provides contact details for Capita Hartshead who are the Ministry of Justice's Authorised Pensions Administration Centre (APAC), both of which can also provide information about these options to interested staff. NOMS staff have access to the Ministry of Justice intranet and can phone the Home Office Pension Service (NOMS APAC) help desk for advice and are also provided with details of the Civil Service Pensions website address when they join.
	The purchase of added years was replaced by added pension from 1 March 2008 and this change was given prominent publicity in June 2007 and again in February 2008.
	From time to time, relevant pension-related information is published on the Ministry of Justice's intranet and brought to the attention of employees.
	Information on the 36 probation boards and six probation trusts has not been included, as their members of staff are not employees of the Ministry of Justice. Probation staff are generally eligible for membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Glen Parva Young Offenders Institution

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the building of the planned extension of Glen Parva Young Offenders Institution will be  (a) started and  (b) completed; how many additional places and what facilities for young offenders the extension will provide; what facilities currently available will be removed; and what the total cost will be of the extension.

David Hanson: Solutions are being developed on behalf of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to build a new prison adjacent to the site of the existing Glen Parva YOI; this is not an extension to the existing Glen Parva YOI for young adult males.
	Planning permission is due to be submitted in the summer of 2009. If this is granted, work is anticipated to start in late 2009 and expected to be completed in early 2012.
	The new prison will create approximately 360 new prison places and, as this is a new self-contained prison for young men aged 15-17, no existing facilities will be removed from the existing establishment. The development at Glen Parva will include facilities for young people to take part in a variety of training and education activities to help them gain the necessary skills they need on release to help reduce their risk of reoffending. The total cost of the project has not been determined and will be subject to competition over the next six to eight months.

Legal Services Ombudsman

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) applications and  (b) successful applications for judicial review of decisions made by the Legal Services Ombudsman have been made in each year since 2002;
	(2)  how many  (a) applications and  (b) successful applications for judicial review of decisions made by the Legal Services Ombudsman there have been in each year since 2002.

Bridget Prentice: Although the Legal Services Ombudsman is independent of Government, we understand from her annual reports that:
	In 2004-05, 14 applications for Judicial Review were made. None were successful.
	In 2005-06, eight applications were made. None were successful.
	In 2006-07, nine applications were made. None were successful.
	In 2007-08, eight applications were made. Five have been unsuccessful. The three remaining cases continued into 2008-09 and were subsequently unsuccessful.
	According to the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman there are no records available to confirm the number of applications for Judicial Review between 2002-04.

Legal Services Ombudsman

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the performance of the  (a) Legal Services Ombudsman and  (b) Legal Complaints Service.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Regulation and Redress Division (LSRRD) in the Ministry of Justice is responsible for the policy relating to the regulation of legal services in England and Wales.
	During 2008, LSRRD received 56 representations regarding the performance of the Legal Services Ombudsman, and 37 representations regarding the performance of the Legal Complaints Service.

Legal Services Ombudsman

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints he has received regarding decisions made by the Legal Services Ombudsman in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman is independent of Government. Therefore, the Department does not deal with complaints regarding decisions made by the ombudsman.
	The ombudsman's report in individual cases is final and there is no appeal against it. However, consumers can challenge her decisions in the courts through application for Judicial Review.

Magistrates: Age

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many magistrates are aged between  (a) 20 and 29,  (b) 30 and 39,  (c) 40 and 49,  (d) 50 and 59 and  (e) 60 and 69 years old.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  The age of magistrates  as  at 28 January ,  2009 
			  Age  Number 
			  (a) 20-29 134 
			  (b) 30-39 993 
			  (c) 40-49 4,344 
			  (d) 50-59 9,557 
			  (e) 60-69 14,390

Mental Health Tribunals

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether specialist legal advice is routinely made available to people who are the subject of a mental health tribunal.

Shahid Malik: Legal aid is available for representation in the first-tier tribunal and upper tribunal for mental health proceedings. It is available without reference to the means of the applicant in the first-tier tribunal.

National Mediation Helpline: Finance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding his Department provided to the National Mediation Helpline in each of the last three years.

Bridget Prentice: Since the launch of the National Mediation Helpline in March 2005, the year on year costs are as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Justice Department funding of  the National Mediation Helpline, 2005- 08 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 73,880 
			 2006-07 50,523 
			 2007-08 72,094

Prison Accommodation

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new prison places he plans to provide by 31 December 2009.

David Hanson: At 31 December 2009 we will have delivered over 6,000 new prison places since April 2007. This includes over 2,100 new prison places in 2009.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people released from prison less than half way through their sentence had reoffended before the date originally set for the end of the sentence in each of the last three years, broken down by offence.

David Hanson: Information about the length of time that a prisoner spent in prison cannot be extracted from the Police National Computer database and we do not collate this information from the prisoner discharge dataset in the production of reoffending data. These are the two key sources for producing statistics on reoffending following a discharge from prison.
	Further information on the one year rates of reoffending can be found at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm.

Prisoners: Bullying

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures are in place to prevent bullying of prisoners by other inmates.

Shahid Malik: Since 2004, every public sector prison has been required to have in place a local violence reduction strategy. From mid 2007 this policy has been applied to both the public sector and contracted estate. Under the strategy each prison is required to undertake regular analysis of any problem areas, consider solutions and provide an action plan to improve personal safety and reduce violence. All closed establishments are required to undertake a cell-sharing risk assessment to inform cell allocation. The violence reduction strategy is due to be reviewed during 2009.

Prisoners: Islam

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners in each high security prison in each of the last five years were Muslim.

David Hanson: Figures showing the numbers and percentages of Muslim prisoners in each high security prison establishment in England and Wales on 30 June each year can be found in the following table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Numbers and proportions of Muslim prisoners by each high security prison, June 2004 - June 2008. 
			  Prison  Muslim prisoners  Percentage  of total 
			  30 June 2004   
			 Belmarsh 147 16 
			 Frankland 56 8 
			 Full Sutton 82 14 
			 Long Lartin 58 13 
			 Manchester 112 9 
			 Wakefield 26 5 
			 Whitemoor 74 18 
			 Woodhill 85 11 
			
			 Total Muslim prisoners 640  
			 Total all prisoners 5,547  
			 Muslims as percentage of all 12  
			
			  30 June 2005   
			 Belmarsh 145 16 
			 Frankland 63 9 
			 Full Sutton 85 14 
			 Long Lartin 67 15 
			 Manchester 126 10 
			 Wakefield 32 6 
			 Whitemoor 75 17 
			 Woodhill 93 12 
			
			 Total Muslim prisoners 686  
			 Total all prisoners 5,615  
			 Muslims as percentage of all 12  
			
			  30 June 2006   
			 Belmarsh 154 17 
			 Frankland 73 10 
			 Full Sutton 82 14 
			 Long Lartin 91 21 
			 Manchester 171 14 
			 Wakefield 51 7 
			 Whitemoor 73 17 
			 Woodhill 107 14 
			
			 Total Muslim prisoners 802  
			 Total all prisoners 5,802  
			 Muslims as percentage of all 14  
			
			  30 June 2007   
			 Belmarsh 175 19 
			 Frankland 73 10 
			 Full Sutton 77 13 
			 Long Lartin 105 24 
			 Manchester 159 13 
			 Wakefield 61 8 
			 Whitemoor 94 20 
			 Woodhill 114 14 
			
			 Total Muslim prisoners 858  
			 Total all prisoners 5,917  
			 Muslims as percentage of all 15  
			
			  30 June 2008   
			 Belmarsh 181 20 
			 Frankland 60 8 
			 Full Sutton 109 19 
			 Long Lartin 106 24 
			 Manchester 144 12 
			 Wakefield 66 9 
			 Whitemoor 140 34 
			 Woodhill 113 14 
			
			 Total Muslim prisoners 919  
			 Total all prisoners 5,828  
			 Muslims as percentage of all 16

Prisoners: Racial Harassment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many racial incidents were reported by prisoners during 2008; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of subsequent investigations.

Shahid Malik: In 2008 there were 8,911 incidents of alleged racism reported by prisoners—of those 2,849 were about the behaviour of other prisoners and 6,062 were concerned with the actions of members of staff. A small proportion consist of allegations of misconduct by staff and all such matters are subject to disciplinary investigation under the code of conduct and discipline.
	All investigations into reported acts of racism are overseen and signed off by the Governor or Deputy Governor. In addition the area manager conducts bi-annual checks of a random' sample of investigations.
	'Race Review 2008' recently published by NOMS and available in the Library sets out the current assessment of race equality in the prison service, including the effectiveness of these systems and plans for work further to improve them.

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of people released on  (a) probation and  (b) licence who subsequently committed a further crime were returned to prison in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: The following table sets out the number of offenders who were released on licence and who were subsequently recalled to custody, having been charged with committing a further offence in the period of their licence in the year 2007-08 and between April and December 2008, as notified to the National Offender Management Service. Accurate data on the reasons for recalling determinate prisoners who were on licence were not held centrally prior to April 2007 and to compile such data would incur disproportionate cost.
	Offenders recalled for committing further offences are normally recalled at the point at which the charge is laid. Inevitably therefore, some of the cases listed would have either resulted in acquittal or would not have proceeded to trial, as the charges were subsequently withdrawn.
	Furthermore, there will have been prisoners released on licence and who were charged with offences after their licence period had expired. They would not have been liable to recall.
	The proportion of offenders recalled for committing further offences cannot be expressed as a proportion of the number of releases, as offenders may be recalled at any point during a licence and on more than one occasion, particularly with respect to licences that can be several years in duration.
	
		
			   Offenders recalled for further charges 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 (1)2,604 
			 April 2008 to December 2008 (1)2,081 
			 (1) These figures exclude all those recalled from early custody licence. It also excludes those recalled from home detention curfew who had a sentence of less than 12 months as they would not have been under probation supervision.

Speed Limits: Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many charges for speeding offences were discontinued because the location of the speed camera failed to comply with the guidance in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many charges for speeding offences were discontinued because of a breach of the guidance on co-located signs in each of the last five years;

Maria Eagle: Charging data are not held by my Department. Prosecutions data are normally provided in lieu.
	The number of proceedings at the magistrates court for speeding offences, and the number discontinued, for 2003 to 2007 (latest available) are given in the following table.
	Statistical information collected centrally on the number of persons proceeded against for offences of contravening speed limits does not identify the reason why the proceedings are discontinued.
	
		
			  The number of proceedings at the magistrates court for speeding offences( 1)  and the number discontinued, England and Wales, 2003-07 ( 2, 3, 4) 
			  Number of offences 
			   Proceeded against  Proceedings discontinued 
			 2003 165,495 1,465 
			 2004 172,327 1,540 
			 2005 192,238 1,809 
			 2006 180,630 1,759 
			 2007 177,917 1,753 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 7 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926—byelaws made thereunder. (2) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (3) Volumes of convictions for camera detected speed limit offences cannot be accurately established because in many cases the method of detection is not identified in the court data. It is not known exactly in how many cases it was in fact a camera or a visual detection by a police officer. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis unit.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persistent young offenders were  (a) arrested and  (b) sentenced at (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) the Crown Court in (A) Vale of York constituency and (B) England in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: Statistics on Persistent Young Offenders (PYOs) split by court type, as requested in the question, are only available from 1999 onward. The closest geographic level to the Vale of York for which robust numbers are available is the North Yorkshire police force area.
	The PYO figures are designed to measure the speed and efficiency of the youth justice system, through monitoring the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. However, numbers of PYO cases are not a reliable measure of overall levels of youth crime, and will give a misleading view of the true trend if used for this purpose.
	The following tables show the number of PYOs dealt with in England and Wales and for North Yorkshire. The breakdowns are based on whether the cases were heard in the magistrates courts or in the Crown court.
	
		
			  The number of persistent young offenders in England and Wales, by court jurisdiction 
			   All c ourts  Magistrates c ourts  The Crown c ourt 
			 1997 9,868 — — 
			 1998 11,079 — — 
			 1999 12,014 9,815 2,160 
			 2000 13,233 11,961 1,264 
			 2001 13,854 12,889 961 
			 2002 14,244 13,218 1,024 
			 2003 14,244 13,297 941 
			 2004 14,492 13,511 974 
			 2005 14,827 13,894 924 
			 2006 15,528 14,476 1,043 
			 2007 16,512 15,414 1,095 
		
	
	
		
			  The number of persistent young offenders in North Yorkshire, by court jurisdiction 
			   All c ourts  Magistrates c ourts  The Crown c ourt 
			 1997 120 — — 
			 1998 126 — — 
			 1999 155 132 23 
			 2000 184 169 15 
			 2001 161 141 20 
			 2002 158 151 7 
			 2003 167 160 7 
			 2004 188 181 6 
			 2005 182 171 9 
			 2006 203 191 12 
			 2007 252 236 16 
			  Notes:  The Police National Computer data can contain records where the type of court in which the case was heard was unknown. This missing information only impacts a very small minority of cases, and was more a feature of the data in the past than in the present. Thus, the sum of cases heard in magistrates' courts and the Crown Court in each year is less than all cases heard in England and Wales. 
		
	
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) publishes the data in the aforementioned table as National Statistics. Further information on persistent young offenders can be found on the dedicated page of the MOJ website:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/averagetimearresttosentencepyo.htm

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of performance against the 71-day target for the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders.

David Hanson: Overall statistics on persistent young offenders (PYOs) are available from 1997 to 2007.
	These figures are derived from police national computer data, and used to monitor the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days.
	The PYO figures are designed to measure the speed and efficiency of the youth justice system, through monitoring the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. However, numbers of PYO cases are not a reliable measure of overall levels of youth crime, and will give a misleading view of the true trend if used for this purpose.
	The following table shows the number of PYO cases heard, and the average time interval (in days) from arrest to sentence for dealing with these juvenile offenders in England and Wales. It also provides a breakdown based on whether the cases were heard in the magistrates courts or in the Crown court.
	
		
			  Average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders 
			   All courts  Magistrates courts  The Crown court 
			   Cases  Days  Cases  Days  Cases  Days 
			 1997 16,010 141 — — — — 
			 1998 18,605 125 — — — — 
			 1999 21,151 108 18,851 96 2,271 212 
			 2000 23,131 95 21,146 83 1,976 218 
			 2001 25,393 76 23,752 68 1,632 196 
			 2002 26,116 68 24,280 63 1,829 178 
			 2003 26,086 66 24,481 58 1,590 188 
			 2004 26,363 69 24,698 61 1,653 186 
			 2005 27,037 68 25,498 61 1,526 192 
			 2006 28,252 72 26,529 63 1,704 214 
			 2007 30,683 65 28,904 57 1,769 206 
			  Note: The police national computer data can contain records where the type of court in which the case was heard was unknown. This missing information only affects a very small minority of cases, and was more a feature of the data in the past than in the present. Thus, the sum of cases heard in magistrates' courts and the Crown court in each year is less than all cases heard in England and Wales. 
		
	
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) publishes the data in the above table as National Statistics. Further information on persistent young offenders can be found on the dedicated page of the MOJ website:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/averagetimearresttosentencepyo.htm

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband: Job Creation

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by increased funding for new broadband networks in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011 under the Government's plans to create up to 100,000 new jobs through public works; and what proportion of these jobs he estimates will go to British workers.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	This Department has not made precise estimates of the number of jobs that will be created by increased funding for broadband networks and has not estimated how many of these will go to British workers. However, we believe, like many nations that investment in new broadband networks opens the way to a whole range of job opportunities, both during and post construction of the new networks. NESTA estimates that universal super-fast broadband in the UK could directly create 600,000 new ICT jobs and add £18 billion to GDP over four years with even larger indirect benefit. There have been a number of other announcements from international competitors in recent weeks, which make reference to new employment and economic benefits.

Broadband: Job Creation

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to increase capital expenditure on a new broadband network as part of the Government's plans to create up to 100,000 new jobs through public works.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no plans for an immediate increase in public capital expenditure on a new broadband network. The Caio Review concluded that there was no case for public sector intervention but recommended that Government along with Ofcom should take a lead role in shaping broadband policies that could support and inform the activity of regulators and industry players on their journey toward Next Generation Access. The Government will respond to the recommendations made in the review in due course.
	We published the interim Digital Britain Report, an action plan to secure the UK's place at the forefront of innovation, investment and quality in the digital and communications industries, on 29 January, seeking comments by 12 March.

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what deposit has been paid to The Grove in Hertfordshire for the use of its facilities for the inaugural Creativity and Business International Network; and what payment has been agreed.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend, the Minister with responsibility for culture, creative industries and tourism, gave him on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1210W. The cost of hiring The Grove is included within the £1 million allocated towards the running of the World Creative Business Conference in each of the next three years, including 2008-09.

Cricket: Public Participation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of  (a) the effectiveness of the 3 times 30 minute weekly participation target for cricket,  (b) the effect this target has had on the England and Wales Cricket Board's recent Whole Sport Plan award from Sport England,  (c) the effect of the reduction in the England and Wales Cricket Board's grant from Sport England on disabled and women's cricket and  (d) participation rates in cricket in each year since Sport England began to provide funding for cricket; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 January 2009
	Sport England has announced that the England and Wales Cricket Board will receive nearly £38 million of 2009 to 2013 Whole Sport Plan funding to deliver its plan for cricket. This represents the largest award made to any of the 46 national governing bodies receiving Whole Sport Plan funding. The final breakdown of these awards is still being finalised with NGBs. It will also be open to the ECB to supplement this further through bidding for the significant extra funding streams which will be available, as they currently do.
	In answer:
	 (a) Sport England is responsible for getting 1 million more people playing sport—three times 30 minute sessions of at least moderate intensity per week—and will measure this through the Active People Survey. As part of their Whole Sport Plan funding, national governing bodies will be responsible for increasing one times 30 minute weekly participation in their sport as a contribution towards the global target. Given this, the varying intensities of longer duration sports, and the emphasis on the sustain strand of the Sport England strategy, the one times 30 measure represents an effective gauge of a sport's contribution to Sport England's participation objectives.
	 (b) Therefore three times 30 minute participation in Cricket was not a contributory factor in the assessment of the ECB's funding submission. Sports were asked to demonstrate how they could increase one times 30 minute participation as part of the funding process.
	 (c) It is the ECB's responsibility to manage the sport of Cricket, creating opportunities for all. The ECB submission contains specific interventions for women and girls, and disabled cricket. Sport England's investment into the ECB will seek to encourage the grow, sustain and excel outcomes for these priority groups, and funding for these areas of work will be allocated to the ECB accordingly.
	Sport England has carried out two Active People Surveys. Active People 1 (between October 2005 and October 2006) shows one times 30 minute cricket 16+ participation as 195,200. Active People 2 (between October 2007 and October 2008) shows one times 30 minute cricket 16+ participation as 204,900. One times 30 participation data are not available prior to Active People 1.

Departmental Telephone Services

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons the telephone number given for each of the private offices of Ministers in his Department in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities is that of his Department's main switchboard.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer  27 January 2009
	The telephone number included in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities routes callers to the Department's Public Engagement and Recognition Unit, who are able to provide responsive advice to hon. Members on issues such as the progress of correspondence and parliamentary questions.
	The List of Ministerial Responsibilities is a public document, published on the Cabinet Office website. As such, members of the public may also require assistance from the public engagement and recognition unit, which aims to answer as many calls as possible without transfer. Switchboard staff in the unit are able to transfer any calls requiring contact with Ministers direct to Private Offices.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and Departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Exercise

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women over the age of 18 years who have participated in at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Taking Part survey is a continuous household survey providing national data on participation in culture, leisure and sport.
	The following table shows the percentage of men and women aged 19 and over who have participated in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity level sport on at least five separate days in the past week.
	
		
			  Participation in moderate intensity sport on at least five days in the past week, by adults aged 19 and over 
			  Percentage 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Men 12 13 15 
			 Women 10 10 10 
		
	
	Note that these figures are survey estimates which each sit within a range.
	For further information about the methodology and a full definition of moderateintensity sport, see the final assessment of SR04 PSA3 at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5653.aspx

Exercise: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of children aged  (a) five to 11,  (b) 12 to 16 and  (c) 17 to 18 years who have undertaken 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each day in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Taking Part survey provides data on participation in culture and sport by adults aged 16 and over. In those households containing at least one child aged 11 to 15, an interview is also conducted with a randomly selected child.
	Child respondents are asked to indicate on how many days in the past week they have participated in at least an hour of active sport outside school lessons. Table 1 shows the percentage of children who had participated in the past week. The child survey began in January 2006 and data are therefore available for 2006 and 2007 only.
	
		
			  Table 1: Participation in active sport for at least an hour during the past week, by children aged 11 to 15 
			  Percentage 
			  Days  2006  2007 
			 0 32 30 
			 1 17 17 
			 2 15 14 
			 3 10 11 
			 4 8 8 
			 5 5 6 
			 6 3 4 
			 7 10 10 
		
	
	Note that these figures are survey estimates which each sit within a range. The information has been extracted from the report published in October 2008, Headline findings from the child survey 2007. The full report and accompanying data workbooks are available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5481.aspx
	Adult respondents to Taking Part are asked on how many days in the past week they have participated in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity level sport. Table 2 shows the percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds who had participated in the past week.
	
		
			  Table 2: Participation in moderate intensity sport for at least 30 minutes during the past week, by adults aged 16 to 18 
			  Percentage 
			  Days  2005-06  2006 -07  2007 -08 
			 0 38 40 39 
			 1 13 16 16 
			 2 12 9 9 
			 3 9 9 10 
			 4 6 4 6 
			 5 6 6 5 
			 6 3 4 3 
			 7 13 11 12 
		
	
	Note that these figures are survey estimates which each sit within a range. For further information about the methodology and a full definition of moderate intensity sport, see the final assessment of SR04 PSA3 at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5653.aspx

Film

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to support independent film makers.

Barbara Follett: The UK Film Council, the Government's strategic agency for film, provides a range of support for independent filmmakers.
	Their New Cinema Fund distributes £5 million lottery funding per year to support independent filmmakers and emerging talent. The Fund also supports several short film schemes to help new filmmakers develop their talent, enabling many new directors to make the transition from short films to full length features.
	The Prints and Advertising Fund distributes £2 million lottery funding to UK distributors to enable wider distribution and publicity for films which might otherwise have only a limited distribution, helping independent filmmakers to reach a wider audience.
	The Premiere Fund distributes £8 million lottery funding per year to support the production of independent and mainstream, commercially-driven feature films that can attract audiences around the world.
	The Development Fund distributes £4 million lottery funding per year to broaden the quality, range and ambition of film projects and talent being developed in the UK. The fund helps filmmakers of all experience levels to develop their ideas and screenplays into viable feature films and delivers support for both first-time feature filmmakers and established filmmakers.
	The UK Film Council also allocates £7.5 million per year to nine regional and three national screen agencies across the UK, supporting their efforts to build a clear film strategy and provide financial support for a wide range of film related activities. Screen West Midlands is the regional screen agency that covers the Coventry South constituency.
	Independent filmmakers working in the UK also have the opportunity to access the film tax relief, which last year distributed £104 million in support of British Film.

Gambling: Regulation

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many inspections have been carried out by the Gambling Commission in each year since the development of the annual visit programme;
	(2)  how many follow-up visits have been made by the Gambling Commission in each year since the development of the annual visit programme;
	(3)  how many  (a) warnings have been issued and  (b) licences revoked under the Gambling Commission's compliance process in each year; and what the (i) reason for the action taken and (ii) type of operation was in each case;
	(4)  how many compliance officers the Gambling Commission employs;
	(5)  how many visits made by Gambling Commission compliance officers under the compliance process to each type of operator were  (a) programmed,  (b) advisory,  (c) complaint,  (d) revisit,  (e) survey and  (f) other in each year since the process began;
	(6)  how on many visits by Gambling Commission compliance officers to each type of operator evidence was found of  (a) operational risk,  (b) crime and disorder risk,  (c) fair and open risk,  (d) risk to children,  (e) risk to other vulnerable people and  (f) external risk in each year since the compliance process began.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission has advised that it carried out a total of 5,545 visits and 620 follow-up visits between 1 September 2007, when the Gambling Act 2005 came into force, and 31 December 2008.
	The Gambling Commission has advised that a list of revocations and formal warnings issued under the Compliance process, including the type of licence holder and details of the decision, is available on its website at:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/mediadetail.asp?mediaid=477
	The Gambling Commission has also advised that an additional 50 licensed operators have had their licence revoked following the non-payment of their annual licence fee.
	The Gambling Commission has advised that it intends to publish details of its annual visit programme for 2008-09 in its next Annual Report.
	The Gambling Commission currently employs 59 compliance managers.

Gaming Machines

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to review the number of Category B3 machines in adult gaming centres.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Department has no plans to review the number of Category B3 machines in adult gaming centres.

Homecoming Scotland

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role his Department is playing in relation to the Homecoming Scotland 2009 initiative.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 2 February 2009
	VisitBritain have advised that they are working closely with VisitScotland to support Homecoming Scotland 2009. VisitBritain have planned online and public relations activities incorporating the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of external legal services provided to his Department in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On the basis of available records, the total cost to the Department of external legal advice in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Cost to Department of Culture, Media and Sport of external legal advice 
			 Financial year £ 
			 2003-04 490,242.08 
			 2004-05 791,050.23 
			 2005-06 456,480.95 
			 2006-07 251,011.67 
			 2007-08 428,524.32

Music: Young People

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage the learning of musical instruments by young people.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to promote music for young people through the package of funding for music education, which was announced in November 2007. This totals £332 million over three years and includes investment in singing, new instruments and free music lessons.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides financial support for the arts through Arts Council England, which makes funding decisions independently of Government.
	The Arts Council provides funding of £10 million per year to Youth Music so that it can continue its work of complementing music in the national curriculum by supporting activities outside of school hours. Youth Music works alongside formal and community-based sectors to support music-making and training. This includes helping young people with the fewest opportunities to learn musical instruments.
	Take It Away is an Arts Council initiative designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The scheme allows individuals to apply for an interest-free loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument. Children and young people are a particular priority for the scheme and over a quarter (26 per cent.) of all customers have purchased an instrument for a young person under 18 ears of age.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what cars of what engine cubic capacity are  (a) owned and  (b) leased by his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Public Houses

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to respond to the findings of the Community Pubs Inquiry.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The recommendations in the Community Pubs Inquiry Report cover the policy interests of several Government departments. DCMS is collating a Government response and we hope to respond shortly.

Public Libraries

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on the development of community libraries.

Barbara Follett: It is right that authorities take a fresh look at how to deliver their services, and they remain accountable to their communities for the changes they make.
	Some authorities have found that the best way to manage limited resources is to provide basic library services in community facilities, or to hand smaller libraries over to their communities. Authorities that have done so often report positive additional outcomes for communities.
	Community libraries can be very successful and offer a full range of services, when the relationship between the community involved and the various partners is handled responsibly. DCMS encourages any authority considering the 'community run' option to carry out extensive consultation with the communities affected.

Public Libraries

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what definition his Department uses of "comprehensive and efficient" in relation to library services.

Barbara Follett: Local library authorities have duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act (1964) to provide a "comprehensive and efficient" library service, and it is predominantly this duty that the Secretary of State is tasked with superintending under section 1 of the Act.
	However, the Department acknowledges that what constitutes a "comprehensive and efficient" library service will vary significantly between local authority areas given the nature and needs of their particular communities.

Public Libraries

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of the Big Lottery Fund's scheme for libraries on the development of community libraries since October 2006.

Barbara Follett: The majority of the funded projects have only recently started on their capital elements, so the Big Lottery fund have informed the Department that it is too early to make an assessment of the impact of the programme. However, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council are conducting an evaluation, which is expected to report in 2010, and Big Lottery Fund will also be commissioning its own evaluation in due course.

Public Libraries: Closures

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on procedures for public consultation on proposals to close a public library;
	(2)  how many local authorities have informed his Department that they have closed one or more public libraries in the last  (a) six months,  (b) 12 months and  (c) two years;
	(3)  what proportion of public library closures were preceded by a consultation period longer than six weeks in the last two years;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of public library closures reported to his Department before the closure takes place;
	(5)  whether his Department has established  (a) minimum consultation periods and  (b) processes for public library closures by local authorities;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of public library closures which was preceded by effective consultation in the last two years;
	(7)  what steps his Department takes when it considers that a library has been closed without an effective consultation process.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not provide local authorities with guidance on procedures for public consultation on proposals to close a public library. The processes by which consultation is undertaken are a matter for local authorities and they are accountable to the communities they serve for the decisions taken.
	There are no official national guidelines on consultation or periods of consultation which apply to local authorities. However the Consultation Institute and the code of practice adhered to by central Government outline that a 12-week period represents best practice for consultation. While it is expected that most local authorities would also adhere to this standard, under exceptional circumstances this might not be appropriate.
	There is no duty on local authorities to inform central Government about plans to close public libraries. However, we have been informed of plans to permanently or temporarily close libraries in approximately 34 local authorities in the last two years.
	We have not been informed how many or what proportion of the library closures implemented in the last two years were preceded by a consultation period of longer than six weeks.

Public Libraries: Closures

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has reviewed  (a) the legal duties on and  (b) guidance for local authorities on the closure of public libraries by local authorities in the last (i) 12 months, (ii) two years and (iii) five years.

Barbara Follett: Library authorities have a legal duty to provide a "comprehensive and efficient" library service under the terms of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has a duty to superintend library services and intervene if a library service is no longer meeting the requirements of the Act. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not reviewed these requirements in the last five years.
	The Public Library Service Standards, introduced in April 2001, defined our expectations of library service provision but were not legally binding. The standards which fed into comprehensive performance assessment were removed in March 2008, when it was replaced with comprehensive area assessment.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 103W, on departmental personnel, how many of his Department's staff are  (a) without posts and  (b) subject to the internal market-based system; how many of the staff without posts were classified as such upon return from maternity leave; and how many of the staff without posts have been classified for at least (i) six and (ii) 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: With the exception of the senior civil service, all 1,552 of DFID civil service staff can apply for jobs through our market based internal posting system. While DFID sometimes has people between posts for short periods of time, we do not currently have any permanent members of staff classed as surplus.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy that temporary and permanent employees of his Department employed at the same grade receive the same hourly rate of pay.

Ivan Lewis: The policy at the Department for International Development (DFID) is for all employees whether they are on permanent or temporary contracts to be treated the same in terms of pay. However, as each grade has an associated pay range with minimum and maximum pay points, all employees in the same grade, whatever their contractual status, will not necessarily be paid at the same hourly rate.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not operate staff award and recognition schemes outside of performance related pay.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of external legal services provided to his Department in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The costs of external legal services over the last five years are:
	
		
			   Total (£) 
			 2003-04 271,453.54 
			 2004-05 266,331.06 
			 2005-06 579,960.00 
			 2006-07 422,584.33 
			 2007-08 368,550.96 
		
	
	These figures include amounts previously reported as internal legal costs, on Office of Government Commerce advice.
	Our overseas offices may obtain advice from local legal advisers on a range of foreign domestic issues, from foreign accommodation leases to local employment law. Information on these costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliament: Buildings

David Amess: To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the  (a) date of opening was and  (b) current estimated value is of each building on the Parliamentary Estate.

Nick Harvey: The information requested is in the following table. Date of opening has been taken to mean date of occupation by the House.
	
		
			  Building  Brought into service  Total value (£ million) 
			 Palace of Westminster(1,2) 1847 and later dates up to 2008 1,188.0 
			 Portcullis House(3) 2000 304.0 
			 Norman Shaw North 1975 24.9 
			 Norman Shaw South 1979 15.6 
			 No 1 Canon Row(2) 1989 9.0 
			 No 2 (A) Canon Row 1991 0.975 
			 No 2 (B) Canon Row 1991 0.775 
			 No 4 Canon Row 1991 2.1 
			 No 1 Derby Gate 1991 13.6 
			 No 1 Parliament Street(4) 1991 24.3 
			 No 2 Parliament Street 1991 2.7 
			 No 3 Parliament Street 1991 3.5 
			 No 22 John Islip Street 1965 0.7 
			 Abingdon Street Car Park 1964 5.3 
			 Level-3 Broad Sanctuary(2) 1986 (5)— 
			 Flat 16, 102 Rochester Row 1976 (5)— 
			 No 2 The Abbey Garden 1961 (5)— 
			 No 4 Millbank (part) 2006 (5)— 
			 No 7 Millbank 1994 (5)— 
			 No 14 Tothill Street Awaiting fitting-out (5)— 
			 (1) Includes the areas occupied by the House of Lords, Westminster Hall and the rooms off, the underground car park, New Palace Yard, and the Cromwell Green Building. (2) Includes areas occupied by the House of Lords. (3) Excludes the retail units on Bridge Street. (4) Includes the retail units and St. Stephen's Tavern. (5) Leased properties.  Source: 'Parliamentary Estate Asset Valuation 31 March 2008' by the Valuation Office Agency.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 886W, on the Saville Inquiry, whether expenditure on legal fees is expected to increase.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 992W.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Buildings

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much has been spent by the Government Equalities Office on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each year since its establishment.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office does not own any properties. It leases space from Communities and Local Government in their headquarters building, Eland House. That space has not been renovated or refurbished in GEO's tenure so no costs have been incurred. I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 20 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1312-13W.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the Government Equalities Office's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public has been since it was established.

Maria Eagle: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	With respect to correspondence from members of the public, this information can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual letters at disproportionate cost; however the Government Equalities Office aims to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff in the Government Equalities Office have been disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues since its inception.

Maria Eagle: Since the Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007 no members of staff have been disciplined for bullying or harassment.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office has spent on broadband internet in each year since it was established.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office receives a service charge from the Department for Communities and Local Government and from Cabinet Office for IT services. Broadband internet is not separately identified in these charges.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office has spent on maintaining its departmental website in each year since the Office was established.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office website www.equalities.gov.uk was launched on 10 January 2008. The charge for maintaining the site since 10 January 2008 was £891.83. In 2008-09 the charge for maintaining the site is £2,700.

Departmental Sick Leave

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the number of hours of work lost through sickness absence on the part of staff working in the Government Equalities Office in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office has lost 806 hours of work through staff sickness absence in the last 12 months.

Departmental Television

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many flat screen televisions have been purchased by the Government Equalities Office since it was established.

Maria Eagle: Since its establishment, the Government Equalities Office has purchased two flat screen televisions.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in the Government Equalities Office for working  (a) in lunch breaks and  (b) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The calculation could be made only at disproportionate cost. The Government Equalities Office does not keep a central record of how many days off in lieu were granted to staff for working in lunch breaks and at other times. Records are held by individual members of staff and their line managers. Time off in lieu has to be authorised by managers, and be within parameters set out in GEO's terms and conditions.

Equal Pay: Private Sector

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the cost to business of mandatory pay audits in the private sector; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Research commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission in 2005 found that the administrative cost of carrying out an equal pay review was typically the equivalent of three to six months of the time of a single member of staff.

Mass Media

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many press and communications officers are employed by the Government Equalities Office.

Maria Eagle: The communication team at the Government Equalities Office consists of six posts of which two are press officers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to  (a) police forces and  (b) licensing authorities on using under 18 year olds for test purchases of alcohol in pubs.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has not issued any recent guidance to the police or licensing authorities on the issue of test purchasing. The use of test purchase operations is a local operational matter, and as such is a decision for the chief constable. However, we are aware that both ACPO and LACORS have produced guidance on this matter.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on the provisions in the draft EU Directive 86/609 relating to the use of great apes in scientific procedures.

Meg Hillier: Great apes have never been used as laboratory animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and in 1997 we gave a commitment that we will not allow their use in the future. This remains our position.
	The provisions of the draft directive seek to prohibit the use of great apes, except in research aimed at the preservation of those species and where action is warranted in relation to an unexpected life-threatening or debilitating condition endangering human beings and no other species or alternative method would suffice.
	Although these provisions appear weaker than our position, we support the proposal in principle. The exemptions allowed could only be invoked in genuinely exceptional circumstances and in practice the provision would be an effective ban on the use of great apes consistent with our policy.

Borders: Passenger Ships

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on strengthening domestic security in relation to cruise ships under the  (a) e-borders programme and  (b) Government's counter-terrorism strategy.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Secretary is in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Transport on a range of matters including maritime security and e-Borders.
	The e-Borders programme is designed to collect passenger and crew data for all those entering or leaving the UK regardless of the mode of transport and is currently in the process of being rolled out. Cruise ships are included in the implementation programme and preliminary discussions and trials with major cruise operators and with shipping agents who act on behalf of cruise operators have been held. No major issues have been identified that would prevent cruise ship operators from achieving full compliance in line with the e-Borders implementation plan.
	There is an established maritime security regime in place in the UK for all passenger ships, including cruise ships, engaged in international voyages. This regime is regulated by the Department for Transport and is in accordance with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code and EU Regulation 725/2004.

British Nationality: Republic of Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people applied for UK passports from a primary residence in the Irish Republic in the last two years.

Meg Hillier: The British embassy in Dublin issued the following number of passports to British nationals applying within the Republic of Ireland.
	
		
			   Number of passports 
			 2007 9,487 
			 2008 9,225 
		
	
	Statistics are not broken down by place of primary residence. However, the majority of these are issued to British nationals resident in the Republic of Ireland, the few exceptions being British nationals visiting Ireland and who lost their previous passports while there.

Community Relations

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the CONTEST 2 strategy.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 3 February 2009
	An account of the Government's long-term strategy for countering international terrorism, known within Government as CONTEST, was published in July 2006. The Home Secretary announced last October plans to revise the strategy. This revised account will be published in the spring.

Crime: Economic Situation

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account she has taken of the effect of the economic downturn on levels of crime in planning resource allocations to police forces; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Hywel Williams) on 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 806W.

Departmental Data Protection

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many electronic or computer files her Department and its agencies lost in transit in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Incidents of personal data losses are recorded centrally but the numbers of electronic and computer files contained within lost data is not recorded. To answer this question would fall into the disproportionate cost threshold.
	The Home Office has publicised details of personal data related incidents notified to the Information Commissioner's Office in 2007-08 in its Resource Accounts published in August 2008. In the first half of 2008-09 a notification was made to the Information Commissioner regarding the PA Consulting data loss incident.

Domestic Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1074W, on domestic violence, what steps are being taken to reduce the incidence of such offences.

Alan Campbell: One of the key outcomes in our National Domestic Violence Reduction Delivery Plan is to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence, particularly in high incidence areas and/or communities. We are revisiting our delivery plan to ensure a greater focus on prevention. An example would be exploring how to change attitudes and behaviours of key audiences.
	One initiative which is currently being promoted through the school curriculum provides scope for education on addressing the underlying causes of violence and abuse relationships. One example is SEAL (social and emotional aspects of learning), which helps children develop their capacity to empathise, show respect and form positive relationships with other people. This can be expected to apply to any form of violent behaviour and thus prevent future incidences of domestic violence.

Forensic Science Service: Manpower

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forensic scientists have  (a) left and  (b) joined the Forensic Science Service since 2001.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Since 2002, the following number of forensic scientists(1) (including permanent, temporary and external employees) have  (a) left and  (b) joined Forensic Science Service Ltd. (FSS):
	(1) The term forensic scientist is taken to mean any scientist who carries out police casework. Information is not available for 2001.
	
		
			   Leavers  Starters 
			 1 June 2002 to 31 December 2002 71 99 
			 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 139 105 
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 139 100 
			 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005 116 112 
			 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006 143 73 
			 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 179 48 
			 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 190 153

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 15 September 2008,  Official Report, columns 2069-70W, on genetics: databases, what her most recent estimate is of the number of DNA samples taken and loaded onto the national DNA database since 31 March 2008 which would not previously have been taken prior to the entry into force of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The National DNA Database is designed to match DNA taken from crime scenes with that taken from individuals. It does not hold information on whether those with records on it have convictions, as this is not necessary for this purpose. Some data on whether those on the NDNAD have convictions is available from the police national computer (PNC), but not as part of its routine functions and not within the cost limit for parliamentary questions. However, the National Policing Improvement Agency does obtain this information periodically and this was last done at the end of March 2008. The information is due to be obtained again at the end of March 2009.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many new profiles have been added to the national DNA database since December 2008, broken down by age group; how many have been added by each police force; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2669-70W, on genetics: databases, how many and what proportion of new DNA profiles added to the national DNA database in each month since 18 January 2008 relate to individuals aged  (a) under 16,  (b) 16 to 18,  (c) 19 to 20,  (d) 21 to 30,  (e) 31 to 40,  (f) 41 to 50,  (g) 51 to 60 and  (h) over 60 years, broken down by police force responsible for the profile being added; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The figures given in Table 1 show the number of profiles added to the National DNA Database by English and Welsh forces during the period 1 to 22 January 2009, broken down by age group and the police force which added the profile.
	The figures given in Table 2 show the number of profiles added to the National DNA Database by English and Welsh forces during the period 18 January to 31 December 2008, broken down by age group and the police force which added the profile. It is not possible to break this information down by month except at disproportionate cost.
	The age breakdown in both tables is based on the age of the subjects as at 22 January 2009. The figures show the number of profiles added to the database. Some of these may since have been deleted.
	A proportion of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded on more then one occasion (this may be because the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because of upgrading of profiles). It is estimated that 13.3 per cent. of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. Therefore, the number of individuals on the NDNAD is approximately 13.3 per cent. less than the number of subject profiles. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.
	
		
			  Table 1: Age on 22 January 2009 
			   Under 16  16-18  19-20  21-30  31-40 
			  Profiles loaded to the NDNAD 1-22 January 2009—Force  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group 
			 Avon and Somerset 60 6.8 91 10.4 81 9.2 260 29.6 173 19.7 
			 Bedfordshire 12 10.3 11 9.5 10 8.6 34 29.3 22 19.0 
			 British Transport 16 5.6 36 12.5 17 5.9 85 29.5 70 24.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 42 18.9 17 7.7 10 4.5 55 24.8 45 20.3 
			 Cheshire 31 6.2 43 8.5 46 9.1 155 30.8 99 19.7 
			 City of London 0 0.0 2 4.0 2 4.0 29 58.0 8 16.0 
			 Cleveland 23 7.2 39 12.1 34 10.6 96 29.9 58 18.1 
			 Cumbria 39 12.3 46 14.5 28 8.8 80 25.2 59 18.6 
			 Derbyshire 71 12.1 82 14.0 45 7.7 139 23.7 103 17.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 27 8.3 38 11.7 29 8.9 106 32.5 61 18.7 
			 Dorset 17 6.4 32 12.0 31 11.6 72 27.0 53 19.9 
			 Durham 35 13.4 34 13.0 21 8.0 62 23.7 55 21.0 
			 Dyfed Powys 29 12.9 19 8.5 21 9.4 66 29.5 36 16.1 
			 Essex 95 10.9 105 12.0 75 8.6 196 22.5 182 20.8 
			 Gloucestershire 18 8.3 17 7.8 22 10.1 70 32.3 40 18.4 
			 Greater Manchester 113 7.8 158 10.9 124 8.5 458 31.6 284 19.6 
			 Gwent 38 9.7 64 16.3 35 8.9 91 23.2 61 15.6 
			 Hampshire 101 14.8 72 10.6 51 7.5 161 23.6 131 19.2 
			 Hertfordshire 42 8.3 81 16.0 34 6.7 149 29.5 81 16.0 
			 Humberside 63 12.2 47 9.1 45 8.7 132 25.5 103 19.9 
			 Kent 73 9.3 86 10.9 61 7.7 230 29.2 146 18.5 
			 Lancashire 164 9.7 197 11.6 143 8.4 459 27.1 341 20.1 
			 Leicestershire 32 9.2 44 12.6 29 8.3 100 28.7 69 19.8 
			 Lincolnshire 39 9.6 45 11.1 30 7.4 107 26.4 92 22.7 
			 Merseyside 130 6.3 238 11.6 199 9.7 713 34.7 400 19.5 
			 Metropolitan 365 7.1 519 10.2 300 5.9 1562 30.6 1,201 23.5 
			 Norfolk 16 5.5 42 14.4 23 7.9 68 23.4 57 19.6 
			 North Wales 57 11.0 76 14.6 46 8.8 112 21.5 94 18.1 
			 North Yorkshire 21 7.5 44 15.7 39 13.9 61 21.7 48 17.1 
			 Northamptonshire 16 7.2 36 16.3 19 8.6 68 30.8 36 16.3 
			 Northumbria 148 14.6 132 13.0 78 7.7 252 24.8 204 20.1 
			 Nottinghamshire 25 8.3 29 9.7 23 7.7 93 31.0 56 18.7 
			 South Wales 75 10.4 103 14.3 64 8.9 217 30.1 120 16.6 
			 South Yorkshire 58 9.0 92 14.2 58 9.0 186 28.7 123 19.0 
			 Staffordshire 35 3.5 102 10.1 96 9.5 365 36.1 221 21.8 
			 Suffolk 12 8.1 13 8.8 9 6.1 54 36.5 24 16.2 
			 Surrey 32 10.6 40 13.2 22 7.3 68 22.4 60 19.8 
			 Sussex 59 8.4 87 12.3 67 9.5 155 22.0 143 20.3 
			 Thames Valley 126 10.0 141 11.2 100 7.9 368 29.3 243 19.3 
			 Warwickshire 16 8.2 24 12.4 14 7.2 53 27.3 44 22.7 
			 West Mercia 44 9.6 64 14.0 29 6.3 125 27.4 71 15.5 
			 West Midlands 132 9.8 166 12.3 104 7.7 361 26.8 243 18.0 
			 West Yorkshire 140 10.5 162 12.2 99 7.4 348 26.1 278 20.9 
			 Wiltshire 33 9.7 37 10.9 36 10.6 85 24.9 59 17.3 
			 Total 2,720 8.9 3,553 11.7 2,449 8.0 8,706 28.6 6,097 20.0 
		
	
	
		
			   41-50  51-60  Over 60  Unknown age   
			  Profiles loaded to the NDNAD 1-22 January 2009—Force  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Total  % of all profiles which were loaded by this force 
			 Avon and Somerset 131 14.9 51 5.8 29 3.3 1 0.11 877 2.88 
			 Bedfordshire 13 11.2 10 8.6 4 3.4 0 0.00 116 0.38 
			 British Transport 45 15.6 16 5.6 3 1.0 0 0.00 288 0.94 
			 Cambridgeshire 31 14.0 15 6.8 7 3.2 0 0.00 222 0.73 
			 Cheshire 77 15.3 34 6.8 17 3.4 1 0.20 503 1.65 
			 City of London 6 12.0 2 4.0 0 0.0 1 2.00 50 0.16 
			 Cleveland 50 15.6 14 4.4 7 2.2 0 0.00 321 1.05 
			 Cumbria 37 11.7 22 6.9 6 1.9 0 0.00 317 1.04 
			 Derbyshire 93 15.9 33 5.6 17 2.9 3 0.51 586 1.92 
			 Devon and Cornwall 38 11.7 21 6.4 6 1.8 0 0.00 326 1.07 
			 Dorset 33 12.4 17 6.4 12 4.5 0 0.00 267 0.88 
			 Durham 34 13.0 17 6.5 4 1.5 0 0.00 262 0.86 
			 Dyfed Powys 30 13.4 17 7.6 6 2.7 0 0.00 224 0.73 
			 Essex 127 14.5 67 7.7 26 3.0 0 0.00 873 2.86 
			 Gloucestershire 32 14.7 13 6.0 4 1.8 1 0.46 217 0.71 
			 Greater Manchester 186 12.8 79 5.4 49 3.4 0 0.00 1,451 4.76 
			 Gwent 64 16.3 25 6.4 14 3.6 0 0.00 392 1.29 
			 Hampshire 91 13.4 48 7.0 26 3.8 0 0.00 681 2.23 
			 Hertfordshire 71 14.1 32 6.3 15 3.0 0 0.00 505 1.66 
			 Humberside 87 16.8 27 5.2 12 2.3 1 0.19 517 1.70 
			 Kent 122 15.5 38 4.8 32 4.1 0 0.00 788 2.58 
			 Lancashire 256 15.1 101 6.0 34 2.0 0 0.00 1,695 5.56 
			 Leicestershire 46 13.2 20 5.7 7 2.0 1 0.29 348 1.14 
			 Lincolnshire 55 13.6 26 6.4 11 2.7 0 0.00 405 1.33 
			 Merseyside 254 12.4 77 3.8 41 2.0 0 0.00 2,052 6.73 
			 Metropolitan 753 14.7 284 5.6 122 2.4 5 0.10 5,111 16.76 
			 Norfolk 44 15.1 26 8.9 15 5.2 0 0.00 291 0.95 
			 North Wales 85 16.3 38 7.3 12 2.3 0 0.00 520 1.71 
			 North Yorkshire 44 15.7 16 5.7 8 2.8 0 0.00 281 0.92 
			 Northamptonshire 29 13.1 12 5.4 5 2.3 0 0.00 221 0.72 
			 Northumbria 135 13.3 44 4.3 23 2.3 0 0.00 1,016 3.33 
			 Nottinghamshire 44 14.7 20 6.7 8 2.7 2 0.67 300 0.98 
			 South Wales 81 11.2 43 6.0 19 2.6 0 0.00 722 2.37 
			 South Yorkshire 89 13.7 28 4.3 14 2.2 0 0.00 648 2.13 
			 Staffordshire 121 12.0 50 4.9 22 2.2 0 0.00 1,012 3.32 
			 Suffolk 16 10.8 13 8.8 7 4.7 0 0.00 148 0.49 
			 Surrey 45 14.9 25 8.3 11 3.6 0 0.00 303 0.99 
			 Sussex 114 16.1 51 7.2 30 4.2 0 0.00 706 2.32 
			 Thames Valley 186 14.8 61 4.8 29 2.3 4 0.32 1,258 4.13 
			 Warwickshire 25 12.9 10 5.2 8 4.1 0 0.00 194 0.64 
			 West Mercia 74 16.2 35 7.7 15 3.3 0 0.00 457 1.50 
			 West Midlands 192 14.2 95 7.0 55 4.1 0 0.00 1,348 4.42 
			 West Yorkshire 193 14.5 81 6.1 28 2.1 3 0.23 1,332 4.37 
			 Wiltshire 55 16.1 23 6.7 13 3.8 0 0.00 341 1.12 
			 Total 4,334 14.2 1,777 5.8 833 2.7 23 0.08 30,492 100.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Age on 22 January 2009 
			   Under 16  16-18  19-20  21-30  31-40 
			  Profiles loaded to the NDNAD 18 January to 31 December 2008—Force  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,170 9.6 1,654 13.5 990 8.1 3,339 27.3 2,192 17.9 
			 Bedfordshire 462 9.4 571 11.6 444 9.0 1,486 30.2 975 19.8 
			 British Transport 290 4.6 739 11.6 582 9.2 2,209 34.8 1,277 20.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 600 11.3 659 12.4 416 7.8 1,474 27.6 976 18.3 
			 Cheshire 781 9.4 1,098 13.2 764 9.2 2,208 26.6 1,573 18.9 
			 City of London 22 1.3 58 3.4 94 5.6 658 38.9 481 28.5 
			 Cleveland 644 12.2 714 13.5 483 9.1 1,331 25.2 926 17.5 
			 Cumbria 562 9.5 717 12.2 509 8.6 1,696 28.7 1,110 18.8 
			 Derbyshire 1,072 13.9 1,109 14.3 591 7.6 1,690 21.9 1,392 18.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 995 8.8 1,584 14.0 1,014 9.0 2,914 25.7 1,941 17.1 
			 Dorset 440 8.6 636 12.4 486 9.4 1,395 27.1 894 17.4 
			 Durham 659 14.2 662 14.3 378 8.2 1,066 23.0 783 16.9 
			 Dyfed Powys 407 10.7 519 13.6 311 8.2 927 24.3 602 15.8 
			 Essex 1,899 12.6 1,944 12.9 1,119 7.4 3,626 24.0 2,735 18.1 
			 Gloucestershire 570 12.4 606 13.2 376 8.2 1,176 25.6 754 16.4 
			 Greater Manchester 2,622 11.0 3,010 12.6 1,842 7.7 6,554 27.4 4,682 19.6 
			 Gwent 466 10.4 690 15.5 422 9.5 1,122 25.1 725 16.2 
			 Hampshire 1,710 10.7 2,028 12.7 1,292 8.1 4,046 25.4 2,884 18.1 
			 Hertfordshire 876 10.8 1,095 13.5 657 8.1 2,020 24.9 1,484 18.3 
			 Humberside 869 12.4 936 13.3 514 7.3 1,891 26.9 1,228 17.5 
			 Kent 1,666 11.8 1,784 12.6 1,126 7.9 3,605 25.4 2,557 18.0 
			 Lancashire 1,125 7.9 1,795 12.7 1,280 9.0 3,867 27.3 2,778 19.6 
			 Leicestershire 458 7.9 701 12.1 500 8.6 1,683 29.1 1,095 18.9 
			 Lincolnshire 521 8.9 731 12.5 552 9.4 1,695 28.9 1,019 17.4 
			 Merseyside 1,517 9.0 2,275 13.5 1,569 9.3 4,715 28.1 2,954 17.6 
			 Metropolitan 6,469 7.7 8,932 10.7 5,332 6.4 25,009 29.9 18,716 22.4 
			 Norfolk 626 11.4 709 12.9 434 7.9 1,380 25.1 995 18.1 
			 North Wales 645 10.8 821 13.7 541 9.1 1,508 25.3 1,019 17.1 
			 North Yorkshire 713 11.8 797 13.2 518 8.6 1,486 24.6 1,034 17.1 
			 Northamptonshire 318 6.7 657 13.8 411 8.6 1,497 31.4 891 18.7 
			 Northumbria 2,273 14.0 1,963 12.1 1,419 8.7 4,321 26.5 2,765 17.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 972 10.0 1,325 13.6 786 8.1 2,561 26.3 1,722 17.7 
			 South Wales 1,008 9.4 1,430 13.4 972 9.1 2,949 27.6 1,935 18.1 
			 South Yorkshire 1,232 10.5 1,565 13.3 1,064 9.0 3,224 27.4 2,155 18.3 
			 Staffordshire 772 5.9 1,440 10.9 1,171 8.9 4,191 31.9 2,857 21.7 
			 Suffolk 691 12.7 721 13.3 431 7.9 1,402 25.8 935 17.2 
			 Surrey 550 8.9 880 14.2 514 8.3 1,528 24.7 1,119 18.1 
			 Sussex 1,037 9.7 1,412 13.1 806 7.5 2,580 24.0 2,024 18.8 
			 Thames Valley 1,737 9.3 2,537 13.5 1,484 7.9 5,145 27.4 3,662 19.5 
			 Warwickshire 347 9.3 480 12.9 313 8.4 1,025 27.5 703 18.9 
			 West Mercia 915 11.9 1,092 14.2 695 9.0 1,849 24.0 1,313 17.0 
			 West Midlands 2,979 11.1 3,403 12.7 2,019 7.6 6,994 26.2 5,197 19.4 
			 West Yorkshire 2,122 11.1 2,321 12.2 1,474 7.7 5,270 27.7 3,643 19.1 
			 Wiltshire 552 11.0 690 13.8 404 8.1 1,264 25.2 954 19.0 
			 Total 48,361 9.9 61,490 12.6 39,099 8.0 13,3576 27.3 93,656 19.1 
		
	
	
		
			   41-50  51-60  Over 60  Unknown age   
			  Profiles loaded to the NDNAD 18 January to 31 December 2008—Force  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Number of subject profiles  % of profiles loaded in this age group  Total  % of all profiles which were loaded by this force 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,776 14.5 752 6.2 354 2.9 0 0.00 12,227 2.50 
			 Bedfordshire 640 13.0 247 5.0 101 2.1 0 0.00 4,926 1.01 
			 British Transport 798 12.6 338 5.3 116 1.8 1 0.02 6,350 1.30 
			 Cambridgeshire 715 13.4 350 6.6 141 2.6 1 0.02 5,332 1.09 
			 Cheshire 1,144 13.8 507 6.1 235 2.8 0 0.00 8,310 1.70 
			 City of London 240 14.2 93 5.5 44 2.6 0 0.00 1,690 0.35 
			 Cleveland 725 13.7 330 6.2 131 2.5 0 0.00 5,284 1.08 
			 Cumbria 816 13.8 345 5.8 146 2.5 0 0.00 5,901 1.21 
			 Derbyshire 1,127 14.6 512 6.6 239 3.1 0 0.00 7,732 1.58 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,661 14.7 783 6.9 429 3.8 0 0.00 11,321 2.31 
			 Dorset 737 14.3 345 6.7 211 4.1 0 0.00 5,144 1.05 
			 Durham 663 14.3 280 6.0 143 3.1 0 0.00 4,634 0.95 
			 Dyfed Powys 586 15.4 265 7.0 192 5.0 0 0.00 3,809 0.78 
			 Essex 2,279 15.1 998 6.6 489 3.2 16 0.11 15,105 3.09 
			 Gloucestershire 639 13.9 310 6.7 166 3.6 0 0.00 4,597 0.94 
			 Greater Manchester 3,305 13.8 1,348 5.6 568 2.4 1 0.00 23,932 4.89 
			 Gwent 622 13.9 289 6.5 129 2.9 0 0.00 4,465 0.91 
			 Hampshire 2,372 14.9 1,053 6.6 554 3.5 0 0.00 15,939 3.26 
			 Hertfordshire 1,183 14.6 533 6.6 251 3.1 0 0.00 8,099 1.65 
			 Humberside 969 13.8 419 6.0 209 3.0 0 0.00 7,035 1.44 
			 Kent 2,098 14.8 900 6.4 433 3.1 0 0.00 14,169 2.90 
			 Lancashire 2,007 14.1 899 6.3 435 3.1 0 0.00 14,186 2.90 
			 Leicestershire 854 14.8 360 6.2 132 2.3 3 0.05 5,786 1.18 
			 Lincolnshire 774 13.2 385 6.6 184 3.1 1 0.02 5,862 1.20 
			 Merseyside 2397 14.3 949 5.6 421 2.5 0 0.00 16,797 3.43 
			 Metropolitan 12,510 15.0 4,626 5.5 1,924 2.3 8 0.01 83,526 17.07 
			 Norfolk 763 13.9 358 6.5 228 4.1 2 0.04 5,495 1.12 
			 North Wales 841 14.1 365 6.1 232 3.9 0 0.00 5,972 1.22 
			 North Yorkshire 889 14.7 387 6.4 224 3.7 0 0.00 6,048 1.24 
			 Northamptonshire 601 12.6 260 5.5 130 2.7 1 0.02 4,766 0.97 
			 Northumbria 2,111 13.0 961 5.9 467 2.9 0 0.00 16,280 3.33 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,387 14.2 678 7.0 309 3.2 3 0.03 9,743 1.99 
			 South Wales 1,477 13.8 604 5.6 319 3.0 0 0.00 10,694 2.18 
			 South Yorkshire 1,579 13.4 652 5.5 298 2.5 0 0.00 11769 2.40 
			 Staffordshire 1,710 13.0 694 5.3 323 2.5 0 0.00 13,158 2.69 
			 Suffolk 727 13.4 337 6.2 179 3.3 1 0.02 5,424 1.11 
			 Surrey 964 15.6 418 6.8 212 3.4 5 0.08 6,190 1.26 
			 Sussex 1,669 15.5 787 7.3 429 4.0 0 0.00 10,744 2.20 
			 Thames Valley 2,581 13.7 1,098 5.8 520 2.8 10 0.05 18,774 3.84 
			 Warwickshire 532 14.3 198 5.3 128 3.4 0 0.00 3,726 0.76 
			 West Mercia 1,096 14.2 471 6.1 280 3.6 0 0.00 7,711 1.58 
			 West Midlands 3,734 14.0 1,582 5.9 818 3.1 5 0.02 26,731 5.46 
			 West Yorkshire 2,540 13.3 1,142 6.0 524 2.8 2 0.01 19,038 3.89 
			 Wiltshire 749 15.0 260 5.2 135 2.7 0 0.00 5,008 1.02 
			 Total 69,587 14.2 29,468 6.0 14,132 2.9 60 0.01 489,429 100.00

Genetics: Databases

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent assessment is of the contribution made by the national DNA database to the detection of crime; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The National DNA database is a key police information tool which contributes to the efficiency of crime detection. It has a key role to play in contributing to detection outcomes, eliminating the innocent from inquiries, focusing the direction of inquiries resulting in savings in police time and in building public confidence that elusive offenders may be detected and brought to justice.
	It is estimated that over the period April 1998 to end September 2008, there have been approximately 290,000 detections in which a DNA match was available or played a part in solving the crime. A breakdown of this figure by year is given in the following table. It includes figures for quarters 1 and 2 of 2008-09 to 30 September 2008.
	
		
			  Number of detections in which a DNA match was available or played a part April 1998 to September 2008, England and Wales 
			   Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available  Additional detections arising from DNA match( 1)  Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part 
			 1998-99 6,151 n/a 6,151 
			 1999-2000 8,612 n/a 8,612 
			 2000-01 14,785 n/a 14,785 
			 2001-02 15,894 6,509 22,403 
			 2002-03 21,098 12,717 33,815 
			 2003-04 20,489 15,899 36,388 
			 2004-05 19,873 15,732 35,605 
			 2005-06 20,349 19,960 40,309 
			 2006-07 19,949 21,199 41,148 
			 2007-08 17,614 15,420 33,034 
			 2008-09 Qtrs 1 and 2 8,975 8,168 17,143 
			 Total April 1998 to September 2008 173,789 115,604 289,393 
			 (1 )Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender.

Human Trafficking

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the decision to cease funding the Metropolitan Police's human trafficking unit; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Following discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service, we have decided to provide additional funding for the MPS trafficking team. This will enable the MPS to ensure the trafficking team continues during 2009-10.
	Human trafficking is part of core police business. The funding, which is a one-off grant, is designed to enable the MPS to mainstream this work into its daily activities in a planned and organised fashion.

Identity Cards

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of identity cards to be issued to  (a) foreign nationals and  (b) British and Irish citizens resident in the UK in each year to 2014-15.

Jacqui Smith: h olding answer 27 January 2009
	 : The UK Border Agency expects to issue in the region of 50,000 cards by the end of April 2009 to non-EEA foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. Volumes will rise rapidly thereafter.
	Under current plans over the next three years the scheme will be extended to other categories for non-EEA foreign nationals extending their stay in the UK and be widened to include those coming in to the UK on visas for more than six months. Within three years we expect to be issuing over one million identity cards a year to foreign nationals. All new entrants and those extending their stay will have a card within three years.
	The following table summarises the estimated volumes published in the November 2008 National Identity Cards Scheme Cost Report, combining the total volume of Identity Cards and Passports issued by IPS to British and Irish Citizens resident in the UK. The figures for issuing both products were combined as, in many cases, the same application would result in the issue of both a passport and an identity card.
	
		
			  Estimated passport and identity card products issued to British and Irish citizens resident in the  UK 
			  (m illion ) 
			 2009-10 5.5 
			 2010-11 5.4 
			 2011-12 5.9 
			 2012-13 7.9 
			 2013-14 10.5 
			 2014-15 12.5 
		
	
	This is the most recently published information on product volumes that is currently available. The Identity and Passport Service is currently developing the product choice offered to customers, as indicated in the National Identity Scheme Delivery Plan published in March 2008. Figures for the projected product volumes will be published in due course.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what written instructions police from each police authority give to illegal immigrants who are found in or near a vehicle.

Vernon Coaker: No central information is kept on this matter.

Immigration Controls

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission an independent inquiry into the socio-economic effects of the  (a) new points-based immigration system and  (b) new civil penalties regime.

Jacqui Smith: Significant policy proposals, such as the statements of intent for the various tiers of the points-based system, are regularly referred to the migration impacts forum in order to obtain the forum's view on the likely impacts of those policies on the UK.

Immigration: Appeals

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the number of appeals in immigration and asylum cases.

Jacqui Smith: We have recently consulted on a number of proposals in this area and will publish our plans in due course. Our ongoing Quality Initiative Project, in conjunction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, aims to improve the quality of decision making in asylum cases which should reduce the number of appeals. UNHCR have published reports over the last four years which illustrate both the work that has been done to improve quality and the progress UNHICR and UKBA have jointly made.

Immigration: Appeals

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were waiting for a successful appeal against a UK Borders Agency determination to be reflected in their documented immigration status at 31 December  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006,  (e) 2007 and  (f) 2008.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of people who were waiting for a successful appeal against a UK Border Agency determination to be reflected in their documented immigration status at 31 December  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c)2005,  (d) 2006,  (e) 2007 and  (f) 2008 is not available.

Immigration: Appeals

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets the UK Border Agency has for the length of time it should take to regularise the paperwork of an immigration or asylum applicant following a successful appeal made by that applicant against one of the Agency's decisions.

Jacqui Smith: There are currently no targets in place governing the length of time that it should take to implement an applicant's status following an allowed appeal.
	However, UKBA has recently undertaken a piece of work to review the processes involved in granting status following an allowed appeal. The review has identified potential process amendments to make the system more timely.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been provided by her Department to the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each year since it was established.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has provided the following amounts towards the funding of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in each year since it was established in 2004.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 27.7 
			 2005-06 29.8 
			 2006-07 31.2 
			 2007-08 32.2 
			 2008-09 34.2

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Independent Police Complaints Commission's (IPCC) target is for the time to conclude investigation of a complaint against the police from the date of registration of the complaint; what the average time taken per case has been since the IPCC was established; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold the information requested as this is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A copy of the hon. Member's letter has been sent to the IPCC and they will respond to him direct.

Passports

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) staff were employed on average in and  (b) passports were issued by each of the passport offices in the UK in 2008.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 The number of staff employed on average and the number of passports issued by regional offices are as follows:
	
		
			  Region  Passports produced  Average FTEs 
			 London 235,873 262 
			 Liverpool 1,050,389 380 
			 Peterborough 991,319 458 
			 Newport 765,821 306 
			 Glasgow 232,268 202 
			 Belfast 348,900 160 
			 Durham 1,669,111 588 
			 Total 5,293,681 2,355

Passports

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per week each passport office is open; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service's seven regional passport offices are open for the hours listed in the following table. The various days and individual opening hours of the 68 interview offices are given on our website at:
	www.ips.gov.uk
	
		
			  Regional Passport Office  Days  Opening times  Total hours open 
			 Belfast Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 5.00pm 48 hours 30 minutes 
			  Saturday 9.00 am - 3.00pm  
			 Durham Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 5.00pm 48 hours 30 minutes 
			  Saturday 9.00 am - 3.00pm  
			 Glasgow Monday to Friday 8.15 am - 5.00pm 49 hours 45 minutes 
			  Saturday 9.00 am - 3.00pm  
			 Liverpool Monday to Friday (1)8.00 - 5.00pm 53 hours 30 minutes 
			  Saturday 9.00 - 3.00pm  
			 London Monday to Friday 7.45 am - 7.00pm 62 hours 15 minutes 
			  Saturday 9.15 am - 3.15pm  
			 Newport Monday to Friday 8.00 am - 5.00pm 51 hours 
			  Saturday 9.00 am - 3.00pm  
			 Peterborough Monday to Friday (1)8.00 am - 5.00pm 51 hours 
			  Saturday 9.00 am - 3.00pm  
			 (1) Liverpool and Peterborough are open until 6.00pm from March until September.

Passports: Lost Property

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were  (a) issued and  (b) reported (i) lost and (ii) stolen from each passport office in each of the last three years.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The figures in the following table set out the numbers of passport or supporting document deliveries that have been recorded as lost or stolen either during the delivery process, or due to being delivered incorrectly by the secure delivery courier.
	
		
			Number 
			 2006 February 2006 to January 2007 727 
			 2007 February 2007 to January 2008 716 
			 2008 February 2008 to September 2008 (1)495 
			 (1) Provisional 
		
	
	It is not possible, in the time given, to report these figures for each Passport Office or to differentiate between losses of passports and losses of supporting documents.
	The majority of these losses (around 90 per cent.) are a consequence of items being incorrectly delivered. These figures are collated in line with the contractual arrangements with Secure Mail Services (SMS), the Secure Delivery provider, who commenced the secure delivery of passports in 2004.
	Over five million items a year are delivered to IPS customers through the Secure Delivery service. IPS and SMS continue to work closely to improve upon losses while maintaining minimum inconvenience to customers. All passport losses are added to the database of lost or stolen passports, which is maintained by IPS.

Police: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission a report from the Commissioner of Essex Police on the amount spent by  (a) Essex and  (b) Southend police on (i) own force investigations, (ii) supervised investigations, (iii) managed investigations and (iv) independent investigations in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held by the Home Office. This is a matter for the chief constable of Essex police.

Police: Forensic Science Service

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces do not employ the Forensic Science Service (FSS); and what the average duration of a FSS contract with the police was in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 February 2009
	All police forces submit some work to the Forensic Science Service (FSS).
	Most police forces have contracted on the basis of service level agreements which are between one and two years' duration. Other contracts have been awarded to FSS following a police tendering exercise and are usually three years' in duration with an option to extend the contract for a further two years.

Police: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid to police officers of each rank in each police force under the Chief Officers' Bonus Scheme in each year since its creation; for what reason each bonus was paid; how many officers refused to accept a bonus; what criteria are used in awarding such bonuses; what discussions she has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers about the bonus scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Data relating to the levels of bonuses, the reasons for payment and any refusals are not held centrally. Chief officers are eligible for bonuses as part of their performance pay arrangements; the bonus criteria are set out in Police Negotiating Board Circular 2005/03. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the House Library. My right hon. Friend and I meet regularly with ACPO to discuss a range of issues.

Police: Pay

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid from the Chief Police Officers' bonus scheme in each of the last three years; and what individual payments were made to each recipient.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Decisions on chief officer bonus payments are a matter for the police authority. Data on the bonuses paid to chief officers are not held centrally.

Police: Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of a criminal offence in each month since June 2006, broken down by (i) sex, (ii) age and (iii) police force; and how many were (A) suspended from duty, (B) demoted, (C) dismissed and (D) cautioned.

Alan Campbell: I have been informed by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform that the data held centrally on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought.
	It is therefore not possible to identify the occupation of a defendant who has been prosecuted or convicted of a criminal offence. As a result the information requested on court proceedings is not available.

Police: Resignations

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many heads of police forces have been requested to resign by  (a) her and her predecessors and  (b) the relevant police authority in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Following the fatal shooting of James Ashley in 1998 the then Home Secretary wrote to Sussex police in 2001 urging it to take action to restore public confidence. Paul Whitehouse, the chief constable, retired.
	Michael Bichard's independent enquiry into child protection measures, record keeping, vetting and information sharing in Humberside police and Cambridgeshire constabulary reported in 2004. Subsequently the then Home Secretary required Humberside police authority to suspend chief constable David Westwood. David Westwood retired.
	 (b) The Home Office does not keep records of all discussions between police authorities and heads of police forces.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of a refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act section 49 notice were notified to her Department in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: I understand that there were seven notifications of refusal to comply with a section 49 notice in the calendar year ending December 2008.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Convictions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 section 49 notice there were in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: I understand that there was one conviction in the calendar year ending December 2008.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Prosecutions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for refusal to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 section 49 notice there were in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: I understand that there was one prosecution in the calendar year ending December 2008.

Right of Search: Computers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to require the police and security forces to obtain a warrant before remotely accessing web users' hard drives.

Vernon Coaker: No. There is already legislation which governs this issue. Remote police interference with a computer would require authorisation under Part III of the Police Act 1997, from a chief constable. Any such authorisation must also be notified to a Commissioner from the independent Office of Surveillance Commissioners. The Intelligence and Security Agencies would require a warrant authorised by the Secretary of State under the Intelligence Services Act 1994.

Security: Illegal Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many of the 3,275 cases where persons were suspected of working in the security industry in breach of immigration laws after a false name or national insurance number had been given to the Security Industry Authority have resulted in the  (a) prosecution and  (b) deportation or removal of the person concerned from the United Kingdom.

Phil Woolas: Premature release of information relating to the introduction of right to work checks within the security industry was likely to have forewarned potential targets of our investigation into illegal working and compromised the UK Border Agency's opportunity to mount targeted, intelligence led removal operations. Nevertheless the UK Border Agency carried out an extensive programme of visits to workplaces and home addresses during the course of its subsequent investigation.
	UK Border Agency internal management information indicates that 13 cases have been proceeded against for criminal offences, mainly involving forgery or the use of false identities and at least 35 former Security Industry Authority licence holders have been removed so far. This information has not been quality assured under national statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional.
	In February this year, we introduced a tough new system of heavy financial penalties for employers found to be employing illegal migrant workers, making it progressively more difficult for illegal immigrants to remain in the United Kingdom. As a result of this—and the publicity surrounding action taken to revoke these licences—we believe that many more individuals will have left the country voluntarily at no cost to the UK taxpayer.

Stop and Search

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1628-29W, on stop and search, how many of those searched in each year were subsequently arrested.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of persons stopped and searched under section 44 (sections 1 and 2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and resultant arrests, from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Searches of pedestrians, vehicles and occupants under sections 44(1) and 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 1)  and resultant arrests, 1999-2000 to 2006-07—England and Wales 
			  Number 
			   Stops and searches in order to prevent acts of terrorism 
			   Total searches  Resultant arrests 
			 1999-2000 1,900 18 
			 2000-01 6,400 45 
			 2001-02 10,200 189 
			 2002-03 32,100 380 
			 2003-04 33,800 491 
			 2004-05(2) 37,000 468 
			 2005-06 50,000 563 
			 2006-07 41,900 480 
			 (1) Formerly sections 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 and repealed under the Terrorism Act 2000 (which came into force on 19 February 2001). (2) Figures updated since publication of the 2004-05 Bulletin.

UK Border Agency: Appeals

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she monitors the length of time taken by the UK Border Agency between a successful appeal against its decisions and the regularisation of the applicants' paperwork; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: UKBA does not currently monitor the length of time taken between a successful appeal and the regularisation of the applicants' paperwork.
	However, UKBA has recently reviewed the processes. The review has identified potential amendments to make the system more timely. We are currently working to finalise how these changes will be implemented. Arrangements have been made to monitor progress in this area.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effect of proposed job losses at Corus on the construction of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers.

Quentin Davies: We do not anticipate this will have any effect on the construction of the aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

Armed Forces: Expenditure

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on  (a) the armed forces and  (b) military intelligence since January 2002; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Historic Defence outturn figures, as published in UK Defence Statistics 2008, are set out in Table 1 as follows. Due to the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting in 2003-04 there are no comparable outturn figures for the years 2001-02 and 2002-03. More detailed Defence expenditure information is available in the annual report and accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Defence outturn ( million) 
			 2003-04 30,861 
			 2004-05 32,515 
			 2005-06 33,164 
			 2006-07 34,045 
			 2007-08 37,407 
			 Total 167,992 
		
	
	Military intelligence functions are spread across a broad range of Defence activities. To produce an accurate figure would involve collating data from various sources across the Department and armed forces at disproportionate cost. Nevertheless, the majority of intelligence business is conducted by the Defence intelligence staff (DIS). DIS outturn figures (based on direct resource DEL and capital DEL) are set out in Table 2 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   DIS Outturn ( million) 
			 2001-02 162.5 
			 2002-03 185.7 
			 2003-04 216.0 
			 2004-05 251.5 
			 2005-06 269.1 
			 2006-07 272.5 
			 2007-08 257.0 
			 Total 1,614.3 
		
	
	Outturn figures are not yet available for 2008-09.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reports have been made by residents of services accommodation to  (a) Modern Housing Solutions and  (b) Defence Estates on the presence of asbestos in their accommodation.

Kevan Jones: Details of inquiries specifically relating to asbestos cannot be separately identified.
	However, the Ministry of Defence and its contractors take the health and safety of all occupants of service accommodation seriously and any reports concerning asbestos are fully investigated and appropriate action taken where necessary. Also occupants of service accommodation are made aware of the location of any asbestos known to be present in their accommodation and are given appropriate health and safety advice. The MOD's actions are in accordance with the control of asbestos regulations.

Armed Forces: Journalism

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 82-3W, how many journalists have been embedded in the armed forces since 1997; and for how long in each case.

Kevan Jones: Since April 2005, 537 media visits were facilitated to destinations worldwide. These figures exclude May to July 2005 for which no data are available. The number of journalists involved in each visit varies and exact figures are not available.
	Most journalists will spend between one and two weeks in theatre.
	Data representing the number of media visits prior to April 2005 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Prosthetics

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of prosthetic limbs for service personnel injured on operations  (a) for the first fitting of the limb and  (b) for second and subsequent replacement limbs; and what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time between the submission of a request for a prosthetic limb and the fitting of the limb in such cases.

Kevan Jones: holding  answer 27 January 2009
	 : Injured service personnel who require prosthetic limbs are supplied with tailor made prostheses with state of the art componentry which is matched to their clinical needs. Service patients requiring such prostheses are transferred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court when they are medically stable. Within typically two days of arrival they are seen by a prosthetist in order to cast a bespoke socket that will cover the stump and allow attachment of the prosthetic limb itself. The limb is then typically supplied within five days of admission to Headley Court and fitted when it is clinically appropriate. The patient is also given a second limb as a spare and additional limbs or fittings as are required to improve functionality. In cases where a simple replacement of a component is appropriate, individual patient data held at DMRC enable the new item to be manufactured and supplied without necessarily requiring the patient to attend Headley Court in person.
	For veterans, the standard of prosthetic limb provision to injured personnel by the Defence Medical Services will, as a minimum, be matched by the NHS in Great Britain as set out in the Service Personnel Command Paper.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: Due to the increase in Ministers, following the last reshuffle, the Department has spent 131,000, excluding VAT, on works and refurbishments in the last 12 months.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK  (a) military personnel and  (b) civilian staff were attached to (i) the European Union Military Staff, (ii) the European Defence Agency, (iii) the European Union Military Committee and (iv) other EU institutions in each month since May 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: The staffing numbers for each month between May 2008 and January 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			   Date period  (a) Military personnel  (b) Civilian staff 
			 (i) EU Military Staff May 2008 to January 2009 18 0 
			 
			 (ii) European Defence Agency May 2008 to September 2008 2 4 
			  October 2008 to January 2009 3 4 
			 
			 (iii) EU Military Committee May 2008 to January 2009 1 0 
			 
			 (iv) Other EU institutions May 2008 to January 2009 0 3

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Answer of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 754W, on the EU Rapid Reaction Force, what the UK contribution is to the 50,000 to 60,000 person military force.

John Hutton: There is no EU Rapid Reaction Force.
	However, the UK continues to support the Helsinki Headline Goal that all EU member states agreed to in 1999, which calls for EU member states to be able to:
	deploy within 60 days and sustain for at least one year military forces of up to 50,000 to 60,000 persons capable of the full range of Petersberg tasks.
	This represents an overarching target for member states' collective level of capability, from which the EU's capability development framework takes its lead. It does not imply the creation of a standing EU force of any kind. Any commitment to an EU-led operation is voluntary and is a decision for national Governments to make on a case by case basis.

Gurkhas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans for the future of the Gurkha regiments are.

Kevan Jones: The Brigade of Gurkhas provides a key element of the British Army, fulfilling a number of roles, including infantry, engineers, signals and logistics. These roles were confirmed as part of the Future Army Structure review in 2004 and there are no plans to change them.

Military Aircraft

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost of purchasing and converting three replacement United States Air Force KC-135R aircraft into RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft and associated equipment and services to UK requirements; what assessment he has made of the additional capability such aircraft will provide; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost of supplying and modifying three replacement MRA4 aircraft platforms to fit UK requirements; what assessment he has made of the additional capability such platforms will provide; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The Helix programme is examining the future manned airborne electronic surveillance capability.
	The costs of using the Nimrod MRA4 platform and the Rivet Joint system and the capabilities they provide are currently being assessed against this requirement, along with the Nimrod R1 platform, as part of the preparations for a main investment decision expected in 2009.
	The Nimrod MRA4 production contract covers nine aircraft with an option to productionise the three trials aircraft. We continue to discuss this possible extra work with BAE Systems, but no decision has yet been reached.

Minesweepers: Research

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on research to combat the use of improvised explosive devices in each year of the last five years.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence undertakes a wide ranging research programme addressing and supporting many activities. In the last five years, research specifically targeted to counter the use of improvised explosive devices by adversaries has been undertaken to the values shown in the following:
	
		
			million 
			 2004-05 2.6 
			 2005-06 2.1 
			 2006-07 5 
			 2007-08 14 
			 2008-09 15

Minesweepers: Research

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department undertook on protecting troops against use of improvised explosive devices by opposing forces before deploying troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Quentin Davies: Prior to the deployment of UK forces to Afghanistan and Iraq, the MOD was carrying out research on the development and enhancement of protective capability against a wide range of threat explosive devices. This research included the enhancement of personal and vehicle protection, and means of electronically countering the IED threat.

Navy: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 38W, on Navy: piracy, whether  (a) CTF-150 and  (b) CTF-151 will have operational priority for use of HMS Portland.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 721W.
	Given the inherent flexibility of our Royal Navy assets, HMS Portland will be able to switch between CTF 150 and CTF 151 to exploit capability in the region and support international requirements.

Peacekeeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) troops in contact incidents and  (b) indirect fire events were recorded in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each month of the last three years.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Royal Navy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) requirement and  (b) actual crew number for each ship type in the Royal Navy is.

Bob Ainsworth: As I stated in my answer to the hon. Member on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 127W, manning levels of ships are adjusted according to their task. Thus ships undergoing maintenance, for example, would be expected to have a lower level of manning than those deployed on operations. Detailed statistics on these manning judgements are not held centrally.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 40W, on warships, what the  (a) required and  (b) actual level of spare part availability has been for each (i) frigate, (ii) destroyer and (iii) submarine type in the Royal Navy in each year since 2001.

Quentin Davies: As I stated in my answer on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 40W, there is no requirement to measure the availability of spare parts for Royal Navy vessels in the format requested as availability is measured at equipment rather than platform level. The new system currently being rolled out to record performance statistics for equipment demands only holds data from the last 12 months which I provided in my earlier response; information prior to this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to which  (a) charities and  (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department pays a variety of providers from the private, public, voluntary and charitable sectors for the provision of employment programmes.
	The information requested, however, is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department and its agencies work in close partnership with charities and voluntary sector organisations to help people access the services and benefits to which they are entitled.

Climate Change

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of its capacity to adapt to climate change; and what plans he has to publish a climate change adaptation strategy.

Jonathan R Shaw: In July 2008, the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme published Adapting to Climate Change in Englanda framework for action which set out the Government's strategy for adaptation and the work-plan for the cross-Government Programme for the next three years. This programme increases Government's capacity to adapt by ensuring a coordinated approach across all Departments and the public sector, and overall responsibility for it rests with DEFRA. Information about the programme can be found at
	www.defra.gov/adaptation.
	This includes taking forward work flowing from the Climate Change Act 2008including a national Climate Change Risk Assessment and cost benefit analysis which will inform future priorities for the statutory adaptation programme beginning in 2012.
	The Government's longer term strategy on adapting to a changing climate will be set out in this statutory National Adaptation Programme, which will be reviewed and updated on a five year rolling basis in response to updated risk assessments, and reported to Parliament.
	DWP recognises that the most vulnerable in society may be disproportionately affected by climate change. As such, we consider it important to take steps to adapt to the short, medium and long-term risks and impacts.
	In 2003, DWP undertook some initial exploratory work, updated it late last year, and commissioned the Meteorological Office to undertake a review of the impacts of climate change on the Department's policies and operations. The Meteorological Office report was received earlier this year and its findings are now being taken into consideration in formulating the future programme of climate change adaptation work, based on the priorities identified. The Department's Planning Performance and Risk Committee is leading on this work and has endorsed the initial findings of the review. An update to the review will be commissioned once the revised UK Climate Projections are published in the new year.
	The Department continues to build climate change into its contingency planning work, and works closely with colleagues from other Government Departments to develop a joint coordinated approach to adapting to climate change. We also sit on the pan-government Domestic Adaptation Programme Board.

Departmental Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by  (a) British firms,  (b) Remploy and  (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has a PFI contract with Land Securities Trillium for the provision of fully serviced accommodation, including the provision of furniture, and for which an all inclusive unitary charge is paid. It is not possible to provide separate details of expenditure which relates solely to furniture from within this amount. The information that is available is provided in the following table. The figures in the table relate solely to expenditure on furniture for projects (including the roll-out of the new Jobcentre Plus network and other departmental initiatives in the Pension Service and Debt Management, which is procured and paid for separately by the Department.
	
		
			  DWP expenditure on furniture (1 April 2000 to 31 March 2008) 
			   million 
			  Financial year  Furniture made by British firms  Furniture made by Remploy  Furniture made by over seas firms 
			 2000-01 0.5 Nil Nil 
			 2001-02 2.2 Nil Nil 
			 2002-03 4.3 Nil Nil 
			 2003-04 12.6 Nil 0.4 
			 2004-05 2.4 Nil 1.6 
			 2005-06 6.5 Nil 1.5 
			 2006-07 10.9 Nil 0.1 
			 2007-08 4.7 Nil 0.3

Departmental Marketing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr Evans) on24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 981W.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 552W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: Other Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
	Action Learning Set: 1 Minister
	Financial Management: 1 Minister
	Governance and Public Accountability: 1 Minister.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Employment Schemes

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workshops had been held as part of his Department's Employ ability programme at the latest date for figures are available; how many people attended each such workshop; and how many employers in  (a) Glasgow North West constituency,  (b) Glasgow and  (c) Scotland attended an Employ ability workshop in 2008.

Tony McNulty: 13 workshops have been held between 29 November 2007 and 28 January 2009.
	Number of people attending each workshop:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Leeds 31 
			 Manchester 32 
			 Sheffield 20 
			 Birmingham 60 
			 Stoke 21 
			 Newcastle 39 
			 Penrith (Reghed) 22 
			 Nottingham 21 
			 Market Harborough 14 
			 Edinburgh 23 
			 Glasgow 27 
			 Bristol 30 
			 Cardiff 20 
		
	
	Number of employers attending workshops in 2008 from:
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) Glasgow North West Constituency 0 
			  (b) Glasgow 16 
			  (c) Scotland 26

Employment Schemes: Contracts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what employment rates were achieved in each region by  (a) private and  (b) voluntary sector employment service contractors under each (i) New Deal, (ii) Employment Zone and (iii) Pathways to Work programme in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The cost of complying with the request is disproportionate.

Employment Schemes: Finance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much had been spent on his Department's Employ ability programme at the latest date for which figures are available; and how much of the expenditure had been used for the purposes of advertising the programme.

Tony McNulty: Employ ability is a communications campaign that aims to challenge attitudes among SME employers towards recruiting and retaining disabled people and those with long term health conditions. The campaign was piloted in four cities from September to December 2007 and rolled out to 10 UK areas between March 2008 and the present day.
	The campaign is delivered through the following activity:
	Advertising and advertorials in trade and regional press;
	Billboard posters;
	Media liaison and PR;
	How to Employ ability workshops;
	Web pages on DWP website;
	E-marketing;
	Direct mail and telemarketing;
	Stakeholder engagement.
	The total amount spent on the campaign to date is 3,892,180.
	The amount spent on advertising to date is: 2,237,279.

Invest To Save Budget

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which organisation led each Invest To Save project which has been sponsored by his Department since 1998; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of the Invest To Save projects sponsored by his Department in each year since 1998  (a) have completed their initial stage and have been continued,  (b) have completed their initial stage and been discontinued and  (c) are in progress; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many Invest To Save projects have been sponsored by his Department in each region in each year since 1998; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Invest to Save Budget (ISB) was a cross-Government funding stream that was launched by HM Treasury in 1998 to foster innovation within the public sector and promote the joined-up delivery of public services through greater partnership working.
	Many lessons were learnt from the DWP-sponsored projects and the outcomes of the initial stages informed the effective delivery of services and products to DWP's customers. A 2007 review of the ISB drew particular attention to the success of the ONE project. This piloted the requirement of benefit claimants to consider their work potential before making a claim and heavily influenced the design and roll-out of Jobcentre Plus.
	The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. The table shows the 'Invest to Save' funding allocated to each project. Information on costs is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Name  Lead organisation  Status  Region  ISB Funding (000) 
			  Round 1 (announced 1999) 
			 ONE: Single Work focused interview Employment Service Completed: Discontinued National 79,540 
			 Employment Service regional call centre Employment Service Completed: Discontinued National 2,912 
			 Better govt prototypes for Older people Benefits Agency Completed: Discontinued National 804 
			  
			  Round 2 (announced 2000) 
			 Call centre for Health and Safety Communication HSE Completed: Continued National 448 
			 Claims checking and completion Service Benefits Agency Completed: Discontinued North West 142 
			 Better govt for older people (Integrated Advice and Support Services for Pensioners) Benefits Agency Completed: Discontinued National 76 
			 Prisoners Passport service Benefits Agency Completed: Continued North East 18 
			  
			  Round 3 (announced2001) 
			 Net based Control of Hazards HSE Completed: Discontinued National 200 
			 National Height Model HSE Completed: Continued National 100 
			 Chemical Control for Health and Safety HSE Completed: Discontinued National 250 
			 Document Scanning and e-mail DSS Completed: Discontinued North East 95 
			 Internet benefit advice and digital TV/e-mail Benefits Agency Completed: Discontinued National 514 
			 Internet benefit advice and digital TV/e-mail Benefits Agency Completed: Discontinued National 1,875 
			  
			  Round 4 (announced 2002) 
			 Electronic Health and Safety tools for Business Support Network HSE Completed: Discontinued National 535 
			 Electronic Risk Assessment HSE Completed: Continued National 90 
			 Performance Framework for administering HB/CTB Benefit Fraud Inspectorate Completed: Continued National 187 
			 Performance Improvement Action Teams for LA administering Benefit Fraud Inspectorate Completed: Discontinued National 1,003 
			 Flexible Employment Service Delivery: Prisons Employment Service Completed: Continued National 1,000 
			 Encouraging older people into NHS employment DWP Completed: Discontinued National 99 
			 Assisting in processing claims and backlogs of work DWP Completed: Discontinued National 2,750 
			 Sharing data between social landlords and Welfare advice agencies Southampton City Council Completed: Discontinued South East 305 
			  
			  Round 5 (announced 2003) 
			 None n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			  Round 6 (announced 2004) 
			 None n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			  Round 7 (announced 2005) 
			 Rural Challenge SERVE (Care in the Community) Completed: Discontinued East Midlands 99 
			 Link Age Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire CC Completed: Discontinued East Midlands 478 
			 Trellis The Employability Forum Completed: Discontinued West Midlands 645 
			 Building Future Jobs Eco-system (BTEG) Black Training and Enterprise Group Completed: Discontinued London 3,926 
			 Narrowing the Gap QED-UK Completed: Discontinued Yorkshire and Humber 1,500 
			 Workout PECAN PECAN Ltd. In Progress London 1,773 
			 Supporting Refugee Professionals Refugees into jobs In Progress London 934 
			  
			  Round 8 (announced 2006) 
			 Choices and well-being SAFE (Southampton Action For Employment) In Progress South East 240 
			  
			  Round 9 (announced 2007) 
			 Single Homelessness Enterprise Project LB Camden In Progress London 595 
			 Aspire Welwyn Hatfield Council In Progress East of England 150 
			  Notes: 1. Information has been taken from local records held by DWP and HM Treasury officials. 2. 'Region' information refers to the Government office region. 3. ISB funding shown is rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. 4. The information in respect of name, lead organisation and ISB funding is consistent with documents published on the ISB website at: www.isb.gov.uk 
		
	
	Further information on the projects can be found on the Invest to Save website at: www.isb.gov.uk (including A Review of the Invest to Save Budget: An innovation fund for public services).

Jobcentre Plus: Crimes Against Property

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times criminal damage has taken place in Jobcentre Plus premises in each Jobcentre Plus district in each month since the creation of Jobcentre Plus; and what estimate he has made of the costs to his Department arising from such criminal damage.

Tony McNulty: Under the terms of the Department's estate PFI (private finance initiative) prime contract, responsibility for meeting the costs of repairing damage to Jobcentre Plus buildings falls to our estates partner, Trillium. No central records are kept of instances of criminal damage, and the associated costs of repair, and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jobcentre Plus: Glasgow

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) used services provided by and  (b) found employment through Jobcentre Plus offices in Glasgow North West constituency in 2008.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average distance from a benefit claimant's house to a Jobcentre Plus office was  (a) in the UK and  (b) in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people worked at Nairn Jobcentre Plus in each of the 60 months before it was closed.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available

Jobcentre Plus: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people worked at Inverness Jobcentre Plus office in each of the last 60 months.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many peopled worked at Inverness Jobcentre Plus office in each of the last 60 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Information is only available for the last sixteen months. Details prior to this date have been destroyed in line with our document retention policy.
	The available information is detailed below.
	
		
			  Number of staff employed at Inverness Jobcentre Plus office (full time equivalents) 
			  Month  Staff in post 
			 September 2007 58 
			 October 2007 57 
			 November 2007 57 
			 December 2007 58 
			 January 2008 57 
			 February 2008 57 
			 March 2008 57 
			 April 2008 54 
			 May 2008 59 
			 June 2008 60 
			 July 2008 61 
			 August 2008 64 
			 September 2008 62 
			 October 2008 61 
			 November 2008 61 
			 December 2008 61 
			  Source: Highlands, Islands, Clyde Coast and Grampian District Jobcentre Plus

Jobseeker's Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) employment vacancies and  (b) persons claiming jobseeker's allowance in each parliamentary constituency.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of employment vacancies and persons claiming jobseeker's allowance in each parliamentary constituency has been placed in the Library.

Mentally Ill: Discrimination

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to reduce levels of discrimination on grounds of mental health; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, which this Government have improved and strengthened, particularly through the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, provides a comprehensive set of enforceable rights for disabled people, including those with mental health conditions (who meet the DDA's definition of a disabled person.)
	To improve our support for disabled people we have recently been working with MIND (the mental health charity) to pilot flexible Access to Work support for people with fluctuating mental health conditions. Our Employ ability campaign challenges preconceptions and offers practical information and support to help make employing disabled people (including people with poor mental health) as easy as possible.
	In addition to this, 'Improving health and work: changing lives', the Government's response to Dame Carol Black's review of the health of Britain's working age population, set out a number of measures the Government intend to take to help reduce the stigma and discrimination often associated with poor mental health.
	The most prominent current initiative is the development of the first ever cross-Government National Mental Health and Employment Strategy which will specifically focus on issues such as stigma and discrimination. We expect that this strategy will be published in the spring.

Pensioners: Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of pensioners in  (a) Glasgow North West constituency,  (b) Glasgow and  (c) the UK who are living in poverty.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	Our public service agreement Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	Latest information for Scotland and the UK on the percentage of pensioners below each of these thresholds is given in the following table. The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Scotland as a whole.
	
		
			  Percentage of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, Scotland and the UK, 2006-07 
			   Scotland  UK 
			 Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income 15 19 
			 Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income 7 10 
			 Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices 7 10 
			  Notes:  1. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  2. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors.  3. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error.  Source:  Scottish Households Below Average Income 2006-07, Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2006-07.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department considers it vitally important that we respect all people by ensuring that our communications are inclusive, legible and accessible. Our corporate branding guidelines have been carefully designed to consider the language, colours and imagery we use, as well as the way we lay out our communications.
	The most common form of colour blindness is red/green followed by yellow/blue. Our core colours are green, purple and grey with a palette of secondary colours. These colours help anchor our visual identity, give consistency to our communications and are accessible.

Social Security Benefits: Advisory Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding his Department is making available for  (a) voluntary sector organisations and  (b) local authorities to provide advice on the availability of and eligibility for benefits in 2008-09.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department provides local authorities with housing benefit/council tax benefit (HB/CTB) administration subsidy. It is a targeted DWP specific grant paid to all 408 local authorities in Great Britain which helps meet the cost of administering HB/CTB. The overall administration subsidy allocation is 541 million for 2008-09. This subsidy covers the provision of advice on eligibility for benefits to potential claimants.
	The Department and its agencies work in close partnership with voluntary sector organisations and local authorities to help people access the services and benefits to which they are entitled.
	The Department itself does not provide any other regular sources of funding to either voluntary sector organisations or local authorities to provide advice on the availability of and eligibility for benefits.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the introduction of a legal maximum workplace temperature.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 January 2009
	The Secretary of State has written recently to the chair of the Health and Safety Executive, asking them to revisit the reasons for and against a maximum workplace temperature. He has asked the Executive to ensure that trade unions, and other key stakeholders, are fully engaged in this exercise.

TREASURY

Banks: Fees and Charges

John Leech: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information  (a) his Department and  (b) UK Financial Investments holds on revenue generated in unauthorised overdraft charges by banks which are (i) wholly and (ii) partly in temporary public ownership in each month since June 2008.

Ian Pearson: Neither the HM Treasury nor UKFI collect or hold such information.

Banks: Housing Associations

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage banks to lend to housing associations.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October the Government announced a comprehensive package of measures to support stability of the financial system, protect ordinary savers, depositors, businesses and borrowers, and to safeguard the interests of the taxpayer.
	As part of its investment, the Government have agreed with the banks supported by the recapitalisation scheme a range of commitments. Details are available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_105_08.htm

Banks: Iceland

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Services Compensation Scheme will compensate Mr. Simon Dunne Barker of Marlborough, Devon for the losses he incurred following the collapse of the Icelandic banking sector.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 2009
	The FSCS is an independent organisation set up under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
	The FSCS confirmed on 25 November that it is has sent out compensation claim forms to all the savers that they have records for at Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF) who did not transfer to ING Direct. On 12 December the FSCS announced that their claims teams have been processing the application forms received back from savers.
	The FSCS's priority is to pay eligible retail depositors their compensation as quickly as possible. Claimants can contact the FSCS directly if they would like more information about their claim.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: In each of the last three years fewer than five staff have been disciplined for both  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department and bodies for which it is responsible on external public relations consultants and companies in each year from 2001-02;
	(2)  how much his Department and its agencies have spent on external public relations firms outside the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. and learned hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 26 Nov 2008,  Official Report, column 1894W and the answer given by the former Financial Secretary my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey), to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 11 Jun 2007,  Official Report, column 828W.

Equitable Life

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken in respect of the officials in  (a) his Department,  (b) the Financial Services Authority and  (c) the Government Actuary's Department criticised by the parliamentary ombudsman for maladministration over Equitable Life.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 28 January 2009
	The parliamentary ombudsman, who considered events in the period preceding 1 December 2001, did not direct any criticisms at individual officials.

EU Budget

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value in sterling of the reduction in the UK's rebate to its contribution to the EU budget negotiated in December 2005.

Ian Pearson: The December 2005 Budget agreement sets a cap on the disapplication of the UK abatement in 2004 prices in the current Budget period. The sterling value of this cap will depend upon changes in the exchange rate against the Euro within the Budget period.

Fines

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department and its agencies.

Angela Eagle: No financial penalties are levied by the Treasury or any of its agencies.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

John Butterfill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to lift the administration order on Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 January 2009
	On 8 October Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF UK) was, following due legal process, put into administration. The application for an administration order was made by the Financial Services Authority. The order was made by the court. The administration process of KSF UK is a matter for the administrators of KSF UK.

Landsbanki: Guernsey

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1636, on Landsbanki Guernsey, what estimate he has made of the cost incurred by depositors in the UK as a consequence of the collapse of Landsbanki Guernsey.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 28 January 2009
	The UK Government and the Financial Services Authority do not hold such information.
	Arrangements for depositors in banks in Guernsey are a matter for the Government of Guernsey.

Licensed Premises: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when  (a) Section 720 (night clubs and discotheques),  (b) Section 210 (casinos and gambling clubs) and  (c) Section 825 (public houses, licensed restaurants and wine bars), including their appendices and associated documents, of the Valuation Office Agency's Rating Manual, were last updated.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Section 720 (night clubs and discotheques)all parts last updated October 2002.
	 (b) Section 210 (casinos and gambling clubs)main section last updated January 2007, Practice Note for 2010 Revaluation added December 2008.
	 (c) Section 825 (public houses, licensed restaurants and wine bars)main section last updated January 2000, Practice Notes for 2010 Revaluation including Approved Guide to Valuation added October 2003.

Members: Correspondence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 18 October 2008 from the hon. Member for Romsey on provisions for the banking sector.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 15 October 2008 on savings in Isle of Man banks on behalf of a constituent, Mr Harris.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many businesses in each local authority area occupy premises with rateable values between 10,000 and 14,999; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many businesses occupy premises with rateable values below 10,000 are receiving small business rate relief; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses there are on the ratings list in each local authority area with rateable values below 10,000; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Local authorities reported that there were 392,000 businesses in England in receipt of small business rate relief as at 31 December 2006, the only year for which this information is currently available.
	Information on the rateable value of properties owned by businesses in receipt of the relief is not available.
	Responsibility for policy on business rates in other parts of the United Kingdom lies with the devolved Administrations.

Revenue and Customs: Labour Turnover

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the staff turnover rate in HM Revenue and Customs is in  (a) England,  (b) each region in England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e) Northern Ireland.

Stephen Timms: Answers are for 2007-8 and are given as percentage of the average headcount staff in post, and show all people leaving the Department, including retirements.
	
		
			  Staff headcount 
			  Percentage 
			  (a) England 8.7 
			   
			  (b) Eastern England 7.8 
			 East Midlands 11.6 
			 London 7.7 
			 North East 8.2 
			 North West 7.6 
			 South East 10.2 
			 South West 11.3 
			 West Midlands 8.6 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 9.3 
			   
			  (c) Scotland 12.9 
			   
			  (d) Wales 9.7 
			   
			  (e) Northern Ireland 6.4.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) Protestant,  (b) Roman Catholic and  (c) non-declared appointees there were in HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The numbers of appointees to HM Revenue and Customs in the last two years, broken down by Protestant, Roman Catholic and non-determined is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Protestant  Roman Catholic  Non- determined 
			 2007 26 33 4 
			 2008 16 26 7 
			 Total 42 59 11

Revenue and Customs: Pay

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the full-time equivalent median pay for HM Revenue and Customs employees is in  (a) England,  (b) each region in England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e) Northern Ireland.

Stephen Timms: The full-time equivalent median pay of HMRC employees in each Government Region at 1 February 2009 is in the following table:
	
		
			   
			  Government region  Median annual salary 
			 East 23,540 
			 East Midlands 22,605 
			 London 29,734 
			 North East 19,090 
			 North West 19,090 
			 Northern Ireland 19,090 
			 Scotland 18,716 
			 South East 23,540 
			 South West 19,090 
			 Wales 19,090 
			 West Midlands 22,605 
			 Yorks and Humber 19,090 
			   
			 All England 20,735

Revenue and Customs: Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to outsource the provision of security at offices and operations of HM Revenue and Customs.

Stephen Timms: Guarding services in HMRC are currently provided through a mixture of in-house and outsourced security guards. Over 60 per cent. of the security guards at HMRC sites are already provided by external suppliers, primarily Mapeley under the terms of its PFI contract with HMRC which commenced in April 2001.
	HMRC are currently exploring the potential to outsource its remaining in-house manned guarding services and in August 2008 commenced a fully competitive procurement exercise by publishing a contract notice in the  Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). A decision on any further outsourcing will depend on the comparative business cases that are constructed as a result of this exercise, including the provision of in-house security guards.

Seized Articles: Appeals

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of appeals to magistrates' courts against seizure of excise goods by HM Revenue and Customs were successful in the last two years.

Angela Eagle: During the financial year 2007-08 there were 423 condemnation cases concluded in the courts in the United Kingdom, in relation to excise goods. Approximately 8 per cent. of these appeals by the claimant were successful.
	For the current financial year 2008-09 until 16 January 2009 there have been 738 condemnation cases initiated. Of these, 426 cases have been concluded and the claimants were successful in 5 per cent. of these cases.

Smuggling

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to  (a) reduce levels of alcohol and tobacco smuggling and  (b) implement Article 15 of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on illicit trade in tobacco products; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps the UK has taken at EU level to reduce the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco products; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what mechanisms are in place to monitor the effectiveness of HM Revenue and Customs in tackling the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco products; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of  (a) tobacco and  (b) alcohol industries' responses to smuggling of their products; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what recent discussions he has had with EU counterparts on the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco products; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of smuggling of  (a) alcohol and  (b) tobacco products;
	(7)  what the estimated losses to the Exchequer from  (a) tobacco and  (b) alcohol smuggling were in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: At the time of the 2008 pre-Budget-report, the Government published a new integrated strategy for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA); 'Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Together'. The strategy document is available in the Commons Library. This sets out the Government's plans to build on the considerable progress that has already been made in driving down tobacco smuggling and reducing revenue losses. The strategy takes full account of work being done at EU level and at international level through the World Health Organisation's framework convention on tobacco control. As a party to the convention, the UK is committed to seeking an agreement on an illicit trade protocol under article 15 by 2010. The strategy also sets out a clear framework for co-operation between law enforcement bodies, regulatory authorities and the public health sector. It also reinforces co-operation with the tobacco industry, which remains crucial to tackling smuggled and counterfeit tobacco.
	The respective roles of HMRC and the UKBA, details of how UKBA performance will be monitored and objectives for tobacco seizures in 2008-09, are set out in the UKBA Partnership Agreement with HMRC, which is published on the UKBA website.
	At PBR 2008, the Government also announced a review of HMRC's alcohol fraud strategy. The review will look to strengthen work to tackle spirits fraud and extend this approach to other products affected by fraud. A further announcement on this will be made at Budget 2009.
	The most recent estimates of the losses attributable to alcohol and tobacco fraud and smuggling were published by HMRC in November 2008 in a report 'Measuring Indirect Tax Gaps2008', which is also available in the Commons Library.

Tax Evasion

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to reduce levels of tax evasion; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Government are committed to ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of tax and combating tax evasion is important to deliver that commitment.
	A number of steps have been taken to enhance HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) approach to tackling evasion including improvements in HMRC's capability to identify evasion, stronger operational practices to tackle that evasion more quickly and effectively, and a new penalty regime to help deter evasion.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Allotments

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what area of land in each  (a) constituency and  (b) region of England was used as allotments in each of the last three years.

Iain Wright: We do not have centrally held figures on the area of land used as allotments in England. Local authorities are responsible for keeping figures on the amount of land used as allotments and we do not require them to provide central Government with these figures.

Arts Club

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 303W, on departmental procurement, who attended the dinner at the Arts Club organised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission held a business dinner for its Commissioners at the Arts Club on 12 February 2007. The attendees were 12 EHRC Commissioners, an EHRC official member of staff and a personal assistant to one of the Commissioners. The dinner was an opportunity for Commissioners to meet with each other and discuss the Commission's agenda, including the identification of priorities, during the transition period. It was also the first opportunity for Commissioners to meet together in a less formal setting than the monthly board meetings.

Building Regulations: Fire Prevention

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to amend building regulations to reduce  (a) the risk of fires in buildings spreading and  (b) the speed at which such fires spread.

Iain Wright: The last major revision of Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations and the supporting guidance took effect in April 2007. This included the provision of sprinkler protection in large warehouses and high rise blocks of flats. Improved guidance was also provided on the design and specification of measures such as compartment walls, cavity barriers and fire dampers which all service to restrict the spread of fire. We do not intend to revisit the provisions of Part B (Fire safety) until 2013 at the earliest.

Coastal Areas

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of levels of migration of young people out of coastal towns; and what steps her Department has taken to mitigate the effects of this migration.

John Healey: England's Seaside Towns: a benchmarking study, published by the Department in November 2008, includes an assessment of the demographic profile of the principal seaside towns. The report notes that the population of seaside towns is skewed towards older age groups, with a correspondingly lower proportion of working age and young people, although there are some exceptions. Most seaside towns have attracted fewer international migrant workers than the national average. No specific assessment has been made of the levels of migration of young people from coastal towns.
	The Government's local area agreement framework is enabling local authorities in coastal towns and other areas, alongside key partners, to develop local solutions to the social and demographic challenges they face. This can include responding to the effects of outward migration of young people, where there are local concerns. In addition, the Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration proposals for a new statutory duty on local authorities to carry out a statutory local economic assessment of their area, and to form sub regional partnerships, will empower coastal and other local authorities to drive local prosperity, regeneration and economic growth for the benefit of the local population, including young people.

Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations of the Communities and Local Government Committee in its report on coastal towns, that the Government undertakes further research into the challenges facing coastal communities; and what timetable she has set for undertaking research in each policy area.

Iain Wright: In response to the conclusions and recommendations made in Communities and Local Government Select Committee on coastal towns, the Department commissioned a comprehensive benchmarking study to determine the socio-economic conditions in the 37 largest seaside towns in England. This research was specifically carried out to fill the evidence gap that existed on seaside towns and will help inform future policy development in these areas.
	The report was published in November 2008 and can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/citiesandregions/englishseasidetowns

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the additional 5 million in funding for local authorities, Government offices and police in support of work in schools, colleges and universities which she announced on 10 December 2008 will be allocated between the three groups in 2009-10 and 2010-11; on what basis the allocations will be made; how the effectiveness of the funding will be evaluated; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The additional 5 million was announced in the Home Secretary's speech of 10 December at the national Prevent conference and supports activity this financial year (2008-09). The announcement relates to a joint funding package from the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The funding is allocated as follows:
	1.68 million to all local authorities to help with the local roll-out of the published schools toolkit Learning Together to be Safe. Funding levels reflect the number of schools and include a boost for those areas that receive Prevent funding to reflect the scale of the challenge.
	3 million for 24 priority police forces to work with Government offices and other partners to support Prevent work in schools and education institutions including higher and further education. The distribution of this allocation was based on the Association of Chief Police Officers guidance criteria which included an assessment of population vulnerability and evaluated intelligence.
	480,000 to buy the copyright to provide free access for schools and colleges to the Kids Taskforce's Watch Over Me DVD for three years supplemented by 60 training days on the product for teachers and local partners.
	Any additional allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are yet to be finalised.
	Government offices are providing monthly updates to the Home Office through the Government Prevent Progress tracker and the police are submitting six weekly returns to the Association of Chief Police Officers. In addition, we will conduct a 'lessons learned' exercise at the end of 2008-09 to produce a document for partners outlining the hallmarks for effective police prevent activity in the education world.

Compulsory Purchase: Travelling People

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on the compulsory purchase of land to provide for Traveller encampments; and what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the matter.

Iain Wright: Guidance on the compulsory purchase of land is contained in ODPM Circular 06/04 Compulsory Purchase and the Crichel Down Rules. The use of compulsory purchase powers is entirely a matter for the local authority. If a local authority wished to compulsorily purchase any land, it would have to demonstrate that there is a compelling case in the public interest before any compulsory purchase order could be confirmed. This is true for the purchase of land to provide Traveller sites as in any other circumstance. Planning advice for Gypsies and Travellers is contained in ODPM Circular 1/06 Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites.

Council Housing: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-decent council homes there are in Crosby constituency; and how many there were in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) 2005.

Iain Wright: Data on levels of non-decency are collected at local authority level and was not collected prior to 2001. In 2001 Sefton borough council reported that 9,715 of the homes they managed failed the decent homes standard, in 2005 it was 7,500.

Council Housing: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in each category of housing need were on local authority waiting lists in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: This information is not held centrally.

Council Tax

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to issue guidance to local authorities to prevent the incorrect issuing of court summonses for non-payment of council tax; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 946W.

Council Tax

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to enable people incorrectly issued with a court summons for non-payment of council tax to make a claim for compensation against the local authority which issued that summons; and if will make a statement.

John Healey: No.

Councillors: Allowances

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) statutory and  (b) other changes have been made to the rules relating to allowances and pensions for councillors since May 1997; and what the date of each change was.

John Healey: From 1 May 2003, changes were introduced to the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations which allow authorities to permit their elected members to access the local government pension scheme. The provisions were subsequently amended as follows: on 1 October 2003 by SI 2003/2240; 1 April 2004 by SI 2004/573; 10 June 2004 by SI 2004/928; 5 December 2005 by SI 2005/3069; 6 April 2006 by SI 2006/966; and 1 October 2006 by SI 2006/2008. These changes are available in a composite form at:
	www.timeline.1ge.gov.uk
	Section 18 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 provides that the Secretary of State may by regulation authorise or require a local authority to make a scheme of allowances for councillors. The above provision was amended by section 99 of the Local Government Act 2000, which requires local authorities to establish and have regard to the recommendations of an independent remuneration panel before making or amending their schemes of allowances. Since May 1997, the rules relating to the payment of allowances to councillors in England has been amended as follows: on 1 April 1998 by SI 1998/556; on 30 April 1999 by SI 1999/1086; on 1 April 2000 by SI 2000/622 and SI 2000/623; on 1 May 2003 by SI 2003/1021; on 31 July 2003 by SI 2003/1692 and on 3 November 2004 by SI 2004/2596.

Departmental Procurement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 304W, on departmental procurement, what the purpose of the expenditure on Info Terra Ltd was; and what goods or services were purchased.

Sadiq Khan: Of the 125,409.81 paid to Info Terra Ltd in 2007-2008, 85,410.16 was made in connection with a series of contracts let by the Department to provide a digital mapping service. The remainder, 39,999.65 was paid for Phase 2 of the Green Spaces Database, which comprised web mapping, data migration and green space quality indicators.

Departmental Recycling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) paper,  (b) plastic and  (c) other waste was produced by her Department in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such waste was recycled.

Sadiq Khan: The quantity of paper, plastic and other waste, and the proportion recycled by Communities and Local Government in each of the last three years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Central Department  Executive Agencies 
			  Tonnes  of material   
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 Paper(1) 132 127 263 104 104 125 
			 Plastic 7 8 8 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 Other Recycled Waste 185 128 153 279 266 375 
			 Total Recycled Waste(2) 324 264 425 383 370 500 
			 General Waste 203 197 200 338 310 178 
			 Total Waste 527 461 624 721 680 679 
			
			 Recycled rate (percentage) 61 57 68 53 54 74 
			 (1 )The data for paper include cardboard as these materials are often mixed for recycling (2 )These data include composted material and materials separated and sent for external reuse by other organisations  Note:  These figures do not include data from the Government Offices for the Regions

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which external organisations her Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in her Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Sadiq Khan: Over the last three years CLG have engaged with 13 different training providers for the Fast Stream. The full list is as follows:
	Alpha, Atkins, Birkbeck University, Brunel University, Capital, Hemsley Fraser, Illumine Training, Indigo, National School of Government, Scope IXL Group, Southampton University, UCL, and Westminster Explained.
	We do not centrally hold details of civil servants within the Department that have participated in provision of training for external organisations during this period. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Derelict Land

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) terms of reference and  (b) timetable are for the review of the brownfield designation of garden land; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We are committed to a review of the evidence on the extent of development on back gardens to establish whether or not there is a clear and genuine problem. If there is a problem, we will consider action to remedy the situation. The terms of reference for the review are due to be decided shortly and will be published.

Eco-Towns: Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have  (a) written to her Department and  (b) used her Department's online consultation to express their views about eco-towns; and how many representations by each method have been (i) favourable and (ii) not favourable to the Government's proposals.

Margaret Beckett: As part of the first stage of consultation on Eco-townsliving a greener future, we received over 12,000 responses, providing a wide range of views on the principles of eco-towns and the shortlisted locations. A summary report of the responses received, is available on my Department's website.
	The online consultation is part of our second stage consultation, covering the draft eco-towns planning policy statement and sustainability appraisal. This began in November 2008 and runs to March 2009. A summary report of the responses and comments received will be published following the end of consultation in the usual way.

Energy Performance Certificates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether additional funding will be provided to local authorities under the new burdens principle to meet the new statutory requirements to provide  (a) energy performance certificates and  (b) display energy certificates.

John Healey: Additional funding is being provided to local authorities under the new burdens principle to meet the new statutory requirements to provide energy performance certificates for their social housing only. No funding is provided for energy performance certificates for their other properties or for display of energy certificates since the new statutory requirement impacts on all sectors of the economy.

Equality: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government Offices for the Regions have allocated to regional equality and diversity partnerships in 2008-09 to date.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) on 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 969W.

Fire Services: Safety

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Fire Brigades Union on the safety of firefighters.

Sadiq Khan: My right hon. Friend the Member for Lientworth (John Healey) and I met with the FBU Parliamentary Group on 17 December 2008 and firefighter safety was discussed with FBU representatives. Since then I have written to the FBU General Secretary following up the publication of their report 'In the Line of Duty', which focused on this issue.
	Furthermore, my officials have held positive discussions with the FBU on this issue and I will discuss the matter further with the FBU when we next routinely meet.

Geographical Information Systems

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 603W, on geographical information systems, what the timetableis for a decision on implementation of a national geo-portal; and whether cadastral information will be included on it.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 603W, that a national geo-portal is being considered among the implementation options for the INSPIRE Directive. Decisions on implementation will be taken through the governance arrangements that are being established to oversee implementation of INSPIRE and the closely related UK Location Strategy(1) i.e. the Location Council. As 'cadastral parcels or equivalent' is one of the data themes in scope of INSPIRE, we are obliged to include it in the preferred option for INSPIRE implementation.
	(1) Place Matters: The Location Strategy for the United Kingdom was published by Communities and Location Government on the 25 November 2008. (http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1072942)

HomeBuy Scheme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1271W, on housing: low incomes, how much of the funding for the Homebuy Direct programme will be allocated to each region of England.

Iain Wright: HomeBuy Direct is a shared equity scheme that is offered on specific new build properties bought forward by developers. These properties were selected through a competitive bidding process that concluded in December 2008. On 15 December, we announced the outcomes of this competition, including the number of properties selected for the scheme in each region and the maximum Government investment that these properties represent.
	The following table sets out the maximum Government investment figures for each region. These figures are based on the Homes and Communities Agency providing a 15 per cent. equity loan on every HomeBuy Direct property in each region (not all purchasers will necessarily qualify for the maximum equity loanthis will depend on what they are able to afford). The figures are also based on current estimated open market property values.
	
		
			  Region  Maximum government investment ( million) 
			 East Midlands 55.1 
			 Eastern 55.0 
			 London 45.5 
			 North East 39.9 
			 North West 51.8 
			 South East 79.2 
			 South West 46.6 
			 West Midlands 50.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 61.7 
		
	
	The division of funding shown in the table reflects the pattern of approved bids bought forward by developers. It is important to note that the actual level of Government investment in each region will depend on take-up by first time buyers, and that Government investment will be matched 'pound for pound' by the participating developers.

HomeBuy Scheme

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were sold under the social HomeBuy scheme in  (a) each region and  (b) each London borough in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09.

Iain Wright: The following tables show the number of social HomeBuy sales broken down by regions and London boroughs for each year from 2006-07 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Social HomeBuy sales by regions in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 
			   Sales 
			  Region  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1)  Total to date 
			 London(2) 23 79 36 138 
			 South Eastern 2 20 9 31 
			 South Western 0 2 0 2 
			 Eastern 1 4 2 7 
			 East Midlands 3 2 0 5 
			 West Midlands 0 6 11 17 
			 North East 2 7 7 16 
			 North West 4 34 21 59 
			 York and Humber 12 6 0 18 
			 Total RSL sale 47 160 86 293 
			 (1) To the end of December 2008. (2) Figures includes seven sales in local authority sector (i.e. three sales by London borough of Southwark in 2007-08 and four sales in 2008-09, two by London borough of Southwark and two by London borough of Croydon). 
		
	
	
		
			  Social HomeBuy sales by London boroughs in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 
			   Sales 
			  London borough  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1)  Total to date 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 1 1 
			 Barnet 0 1 0 1 
			 Bexley 0 2 2 4 
			 Brent 0 5 1 6 
			 Bromley 0 5 2 7 
			 Camden 0 0 1 1 
			 Croydon(2) 6 4 6 16 
			 Ealing 0 4 0 4 
			 Enfield 0 3 0 3 
			 Greenwich 0 5 0 5 
			 Hackney 2 9 1 12 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 4 1 15 
			 Haringey 0 2 2 4 
			 Hillingdon 2 0 0 2 
			 Hounslow 0 5 0 5 
			 Islington 0 0 1 1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3 8 2 13 
			 Lambeth 0 3 1 4 
			 Lewisham 0 2 0 2 
			 Merton 0 1 0 1 
			 Newham 0 3 7 10 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 2 0 2 
			 Southwark(3) 0 6 4 10 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 1 2 3 
			 Waltham Forest 0 1 2 3 
			 Westminster 0 3 0 3 
			 Total 23 79 36 138 
			 (1) To the end of December 2008. (2) Croydon sales figure in 2008-09 include two sales by the local authority. (3) Southwark sales figures include five sales by the authority, three in 2007-08 and two in 2008-09.

HomeBuy Scheme

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) landlords,  (b) housing associations and  (c) local authorities participated in the social HomeBuy scheme in (i) each region in England and (ii) each London borough in (A) 2006-07, (B) 2007-08 and (C) 2008-09.

Iain Wright: Tables have been deposited in the Library that show participating landlords in each region in England and each London borough in each year from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

HomeBuy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed social HomeBuy sales there have been to date.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1141W.

Homelessness

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what support services are offered by her Department to help homeless people find housing; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the Government plan to change levels of funding for services to and support for homeless people; and if will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps her Department is taking to provide accommodation for homeless people.

Iain Wright: The Government take all aspects of homelessness very seriously. We have allocated over 200 million to local authorities and voluntary organisations over the next three years (2008-11) to tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. This is the biggest ever cash injection for homelessness services.
	Over recent months Government have announced a series of measures and new funding that will help homeowners remain in their home wherever possible. This help includes the 200 million Mortgage Rescue Scheme which should enable up to 6,000 of the most vulnerable households to avoid repossession; the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme which will allow households to defer payment on their mortgage for up to two years; and substantial changes to Support for Mortgage Interest by reducing the waiting time from 39 weeks to 13 weeks, and increasing the capital limit to 200,000.
	In addition, my Department has provided 2.5 million funding to the National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS) which is a partnership between Shelter and the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) providing high quality advice on homelessness prevention through the network of participating CABx and other voluntary agencies across England. The funding will also help to strengthen NHAS responses to support those people facing repossession. This will involve training 1,000 front line advice workers in Shelter and CABx which NHAS will also roll out to local authorities.
	In November 2008 we launched No One Left Out: communities ending rough sleeping, an action plan developed with leading rough sleeping charities which uses action, advice and assistance across England to prevent the flow of people onto the streets, as well as to support those already there to get off the streets into stability. This is supported by our Places of Change programme which is transforming services for rough sleepers. 80 million has been provided for the period 2008-11.
	The Supporting People programme provides housing-related support to the most vulnerable in society. In December 2007 we announced a further 4.9 billion funding up to 31 March 2011
	Government have also provided additional funding for advice services. Last year CLG funded 40 court desks that provide free legal representation at repossession hearings and are successful in 85 per cent. of cases where people attend court. We continue to review court desk funding.
	The Department also monitors local authorities' activities under the homelessness legislation.

Homelessness

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the consistency of provision for homeless people across England.

Iain Wright: Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own. It provides a consistent, national statutory framework for the provision of homelessness assistance across England. The Secretary of State has issued guidance to which all local authorities in England must have regard to when exercising their functions relating to homelessness and the prevention of homelessness. Extensive data about local housing authorities' activities under the relevant legislation are collected and published quarterly. These data are monitored by a team of homelessness specialist advisers, located within the Department of Communities and Local Government, who work closely with local authorities to help them tackle and prevent homelessness effectively.

Homelessness

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who were homeless in  (a) the City of Southampton,  (b) the ceremonial county of Hampshire,  (c) Test Valley borough and  (d) England in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level, about households rather than individuals.
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information is also collected on the number of people who sleep rough. Mid-year rough sleeping estimates have been published annually since 1998, and give a snapshot of the number of people sleeping rough on a single night, based on local authority street counts in those areas where there is a known or suspected rough sleeping problem.
	Summary tables showing the total number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty and in temporary accommodation for each year since 1997-98, and rough sleeper estimates for each year since 1998, for each local authority, were provided in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1499-1500W, and are available in the Library.
	An extract showing data for each local authority within the ceremonial county of Hampshire (which includes both Test Valley borough and Southampton city council), and England, is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Table A: Number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the year, Hampshire and England, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 121 126 105 77 25 
			 East Hampshire 208 182 89 82 35 
			 Eastleigh 119 73 70 57 63 
			 Fareham 169 97 110 44 31 
			 Gosport 242 258 218 173 89 
			 Hart 53 76 (1) 10 4 
			 Havant 208 198 152 99 100 
			 New Forest 161 75 86 91 80 
			 Portsmouth 760 636 529 298 302 
			 Rushmoor 159 98 25 25 24 
			 Southampton 699 591 475 285 184 
			 Test Valley 110 72 69 21 17 
			 Winchester 54 37 (1) 35 40 
			 England(2) 135,430 120,860 93,980 73,360 63,170 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number of households in temporary accommodation at end of year, Hampshire and England, March 2004 to March 2008 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 230 137 163 134 87 
			 East Hampshire 185 197 165 154 125 
			 Eastleigh 54 37 43 32 26 
			 Fareham 142 136 115 52 41 
			 Gosport 274 391 362 317 221 
			 Hart 52 50 19 8 5 
			 Havant 426 395 369 278 180 
			 New Forest 423 423 327 264 186 
			 Portsmouth 121 134 130 109 117 
			 Rushmoor 51 57 27 19 14 
			 Southampton 223 232 232 189 157 
			 Test Valley 100 93 131 83 53 
			 Winchester 70 51 46 39 44 
			 England(2) 97,680 101,070 96,370 87,120 77,510 
			 (1) Data not reported by local authority (2) National figures include estimates of missing data. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Number of rough sleepers (persons), Hampshire and England, 2004 to 2008 
			  Mid-year estimate, based on count, or zero if no problem is known or suspected 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 2 0 0 0 0 
			 East Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Eastleigh 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fareham 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gosport 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hart 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Havant 0 0 0 0 0 
			 New Forest 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth 0 6 0 0 0 
			 Rushmoor 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southampton 0 0 0 6 0 
			 Test Valley 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Winchester 1 0 0 0 0 
			 England 508 459 502 498 483 
		
	
	Figures for acceptances and temporary accommodation at national, regional and local authority level can be found in the supplementary tables of our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness. This is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	English rough sleeper estimates, by local authority, and the count guidance are published and can be found at the following web address:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/roughsleeping/

Homelessness

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government has spent on organisations to help the homeless in  (a) the City of Southampton,  (b) the ceremonial county of Hampshire,  (c) Test Valley borough and  (d) England in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: There are two grant programmes that specifically support organisations to help the homeless. The Homelessness Grant supports all local authority homelessness strategies enabling them to tackle and prevent homelessness effectively. The Supporting People programme supports the provision of housing-related support to the most vulnerable in society.
	
		
			  Southamptonhomelessness grant 
			   
			  Local authority  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 Southampton 340,000 390,000 461,000 365,000 365,000 1,921,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Hampshire county (including Test Valley)homelessness grant 
			   
			  Local authority  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 40,000 40,000 65,000 86,000 31,000 262,000 
			 East Hampshire 21,000 21,000 56,000 66,000 56,000 220,000 
			 Eastleigh 31,000 31,000 31,000 31,000 31,000 155,000 
			 Fareham 40,000 40,000 40,000 55,000 40,000 215,000 
			 Gosport 46,000 46,000 66,000 46,000 46,000 250,000 
			 Hart 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 250,000 
			 Havant 56,000 56,000 86,000 71,000 71,000 340,000 
			 New Forest 27,000 27,000 57,000 37,000 55,000 203,000 
			 Rushmoor 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 200,000 
			 Test Valley 22,000 22,000 42,000 42,000 42,000 170,000 
			 Winchester 20,000 20,000 20,000 30,000 30,000 120,000 
			 Total 393,000 393,000 553,000 554,000 492,000 2,385,000 
		
	
	
		
			  EnglandHomelessness Grant 
			   
			   2004-05  200-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 England (LAS only) 45,390,000 44,719,000 49,541,000 52,869,000 51,641,000 244,160,000 
			 England (Voluntary Orgs) 14,800,000 15,000,000 18,000,000 19,500,000 17,232,000 84,532,000 
		
	
	Supporting People programme data is not available at a district level. The Southampton spend is for the county. Supporting People programme funding cannot be broken down prior to 2005-06 to show which funding went to which groups.
	
		
			   
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Southampton 3,964,585 3,409,052 3,009,881 
			 Hampshire 3,867,948 3,617,572 3,629,983 
			 England 635,006,022 299,831,816 287,878,780

Homes and Communities Agency: Costs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her latest estimate is of the cost of establishing the Homes and Communties Agency.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1265W. The estimate for the set-up costs remains at 20 million.

Homes and Communities Agency: Operating Costs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated cost of running the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is in its first year of operation; and which funding elements and streams are being incorporated into the HCA.

Margaret Beckett: In agreement with Her Majesty's Treasury, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) budgets for 2008-09 have been agreed on merger accounting principles. This means that the HCA is deemed to have existed since 1 April 2008 and full 2008-09 budgets have been set.
	The planned full year running costs budget for the HCA in 2008-09 is 86 million, with an additional 4 million being provided to the HCA for transitional costs. This figure has been reduced from the 99 million that was quoted to the hon. Gentleman in an earlier written answer,  Official Report, column 1265W on 30 October 2008. That response was during the set-up phase of the HCA and of necessity included best estimates of potential running costs which have been revised now that the HCA is in operation.
	The elements and funding streams incorporated into the HCA are those that were formerly functions of English Partnerships, the investment function of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. In addition, a range of programmes that were formerly carried out by my Department have been transferred to the HCA for delivery, including the Growth Fund (excluding that element for the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation), the Community Infrastructure Fund, Housing Market Renewal pathfinders, the Gypsies and Travellers site-specific grant, the Places of Change programme, the Decent Homes initiative and the Thames Gateway.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1270W, on housing: low incomes, what the timetable for all social housing stock to be recorded on the National Register of Social Housing is; and whether it is mandatory for  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations to provide property information for the Register.

Iain Wright: The targets for provision of data to the National Register of Social Housing (NROSH) are phased. The first target is for those local authorities that still own social housing and large housing associations to provide a list of their social housing together with confirmation of ownership and manager by 31 March 2009.
	The second target is to provide additional priority attribute data by 31 March 2010. Small housing associations have until 31 March 2010 to provide both the list of dwellings and the priority attributes.
	Participation is not currently mandatory. Communities and Local Government and the Tenant Services Authority have a good relationship with local authorities and housing associations and are working closely with them to achieve the targets. NROSH will deliver a step change in the evidence base for social housing as well as reducing the burden of data provision. Data providers are encouraged to provide data as soon as they are able so that the benefits for all can begin to be realised.

Housing: Standards

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the progress made in meeting the targets for decent homes; whether she expects the 2010 target to be met in respect of  (a) Waltham Forest and  (b) Redbridge; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: On 28 November 2008 the Department's autumn performance report was published which set out the progress on delivering decent homes. It recorded that the latest figures reported by landlords show that 22 per cent. of their stock was non decent as at 1 April 2007, compared with 26 per cent. in 2006.
	Ascham Homes manages the London borough of Waltham Forest's housing stock.
	Ascham Homes expect to complete their decent homes programme in 2011-12.
	Redbridge Homes manages the London borough of Redbridge's housing stock once it passes an inspection currently scheduled for February 2009 it will be able to access funding to deliver decent homes. If successful, Redbridge Homes expects to complete its decent homes programme by 2012-13 but 89 per cent. of their homes will be decent by 2010-11.

Local Government Finance: Coastal Areas

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of day visitors on levels of expenditure by local authorities containing coastal towns.

John Healey: A measure of the number of day visitors to an authority is taken into account in the relative needs formulae for both highways maintenance and environmental, protective and cultural services used in the distribution of formula grant to local authorities.
	Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant which means that local authorities decide how they allocate this grant across the services that they provide.

Local Government Statistics Data Upload

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) statistics and  (b) other data in respect of 2008-09 local authorities are required to submit to her Department using the Local Government Statistics Data Upload facility.

Sadiq Khan: The contract referred to relates to an annual upload of performance only data onto the Best Value Performance Indicators website. Local authorities did not upload to the website directly. The BVPI website closed down last April but the data are publicly available on the Audit Commission website:
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance

Local Government: Bank Services

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what her latest estimate is of the length of time which will elapse before local authorities with deposits in Icelandic banks will receive compensation; and what assessment has been made of the financial effects on those authorities of the lack of interest being received on those deposits;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the effect on local authority budgets of lower rates of return as a result of local authorities placing money in very low-risk deposits following the Icelandic banking crisis.

John Healey: HM Treasury is continuing to work closely with the Icelandic Authorities to ensure fair treatment for all UK depositors and creditors. The Local Government Association are co-ordinating activity on behalf of local authorities, and local authorities are representing themselves at creditors meetings.
	Under the Local Government Act 2003, local authorities are responsible for their own investment decisions, and we have not made an assessment of the financial effect on local authorities of the loss of interest from Icelandic investments, or of lower rates of return from their investments. The Department's guidance on local government investments is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/data/lginvest2.pdf
	The first-ever three-year settlement has given authorities the flexibility and stability they need to manage their budgets effectively.

Local Government: Conditions of Employment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on local authorities to give time for local authority staff to undertake work for their trade union which is  (a) unpaid and  (b) paid for by the local authority.

John Healey: Local government employers are required to follow Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) guidance, under section 199 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
	More information can be found at:
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/TradeUnions/DG_10027556

Local Government: Cornwall

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons local elections in Cornwall will take place in October 2009; what the estimated additional cost is of not holding them at the same time as the June 2009 elections; and who will pay that cost.

John Healey: Following the coming into force of the Local Elections (Ordinary Day of Elections in 2009) Order, the 2009 local elections in Cornwall are scheduled to be held on 4 June. However, as explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 20 November 2008,  Official Record, column 771W, I was minded to defer the Cornwall local elections to the end of October 2009 as the Boundary Committee had failed to complete their review of electoral arrangements in Cornwall, and that before taking any decision to defer I would take soundings and consult those in Cornwall. That soundings exercise ended on 30 January and having regard to comments and representations received, I shall shortly decide whether to defer the Cornwall local elections.

Local Government: Mortgages

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities offer mortgage facilities for home buyers.

Margaret Beckett: We do not directly hold all such information. It is for local authorities to decide whether to exercise the power to provide mortgages.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the compatibility of the introduction of unitary local government without local referendums with Article 5 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

John Healey: We are satisfied that the introduction of the new unitary councils, following proposals from locally accountable councils, stakeholder consultations, and parliamentary approval, is compatible with Article 5 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government which contains no requirements about local referendums.

Local Government: Translation Services

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the provision of local authority documents and other publications in translation.

Sadiq Khan: Since publishing Guidance for Local Authorities on Translation of Publications, the Secretary of State has had no discussions with local authorities about the translation of their publications.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) she and  (b) her officials have received any representations from Lord Taylor of Blackburn in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: After the Secretary of State issued her decision to refuse planning permission for development of a natural gas storage facility at Preesall Saltfield, Fleetwood, Lancashire on 16 October 2007, Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked my noble Friend Baroness Andrews whether representatives of Canatxx Ltd could meet officials. Representatives of Canatxx met policy officials on 6 December 2007 to discuss general policy on gas storage facilities.
	In the summer of 2008 Lord Taylor of Blackburn requested information from my noble Friend Baroness Andrews about Newark as a growth point and related planning cases.

Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber: Lloyds TSB

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber had on ( a) 4 November 2008 with the Chairman of Lloyds TSB and  (b) 17 November 2008 with the Yorkshire and Humber Economic Delivery Group;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meetings between the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber of  (a) 8 December 2008 with the Yorkshire and Humber Delivery Development Group and  (b) 15 December 2008 with Lloyds TSB.

Sadiq Khan: holding answers 19 and 22 January 2009
	Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose minutes of such meetings.
	Minutes of the Yorkshire and Humber Economic Delivery Group can be found on the Government office website at:
	http://www.gos. gov.uk/goy/ourregion/RegionalMinisters/776439/

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the  (a) maximum and  (b) average number of households which will receive support each year from the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme in each of the next three years.

Margaret Beckett: The Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme is a consumer and lender-led scheme, supported by a Government guarantee. The Government want to see this scheme provide incentives for lenders to help as many struggling homeowners as possible. We will publish a full impact assessment when the scheme description has been finalised.
	As part of a wider package of real help for homeowners, this scheme should enable ordinary hard-working households that experience a redundancy or significant loss of income to reduce their monthly payments to a more manageable level, by deferring a proportion of the interest payments on their mortgage for up to two years.
	Homeowners remain responsible for repaying the mortgage in the long term but the scheme will result in more affordable monthly payments. This will give them the breathing space they need to get their finances back on track, and help ensure they can stay in their homes.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which banks and building societies have agreed to participate in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme; and on what dates each agreed to do so.

Margaret Beckett: The country's eight largest lendersHBOS, Nationwide, Abbey, Lloyds TSB, Northern Rock, Barclays, RBS and HSBCrepresenting 70 per cent. of mortgage lending, agreed in principle to support the new Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme prior to the Prime Minister's announcement on 3 December.
	The scheme should enable ordinary hard-working households that experience a redundancy or significant loss of income to reduce their monthly payments to a more manageable level, by deferring a proportion of the interest payments on their mortgage for up to two years.
	Government are now working with a wider group of lenders to finalise the scheme design and agree implementation plans.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the new empty property business rates regime on rates of conversion of empty agricultural properties into business use.

John Healey: There has not been a specific assessment of the impact of empty property rates on the conversion of empty agricultural properties into business use. However, an impact assessment detailing the impact of the empty property reforms was published by Communities and Local Government in May 2007 accompanying the introduction of the Rating (Empty Properties) Bill and a further assessment was laid before this House on 26 February accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008Number: 386.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 949W, on empty property, which local authorities have sent back completed forms on empty property business rates;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1142-3W, on empty property, if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to the requests for information made in June and September.

John Healey: The Government are compiling information on the possible avoidance of empty property rates over the course of the first year of the reforms, and we will set out in an appropriate form our general findings in due course.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of each response to Modernising Empty Property ReliefA Consultation Paper.

John Healey: I have placed a copy in the Library of the summary of the consultation responses to Modernising Empty Property ReliefA Consultation Paper.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether transitional relief will apply in cases of non-domestic dwellings for which empty property business rates are paid following the 2010 revaluation.

John Healey: There will be a consultation on the transitional relief scheme for the 2010 revaluation later this year. We have consulted on a transitional relief scheme for the previous ratings lists.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether supplementary business rates will apply to dwellings for which empty property business rates are paid.

John Healey: Business rates are not payable on domestic dwellings, unless they are occupied for both domestic and non-domestic purposes and have been assessed by the Valuation Office Agency for both council tax and business rates purposes.
	Clause 11 of the Business Rate Supplements Bill, published in December 2008, provides that the decision to levy a BRS on empty non-domestic properties will be left to the discretion of the levying authority.

Non-Domestic Rates: Tax Allowances

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the responsibilities of local authorities are in respect of meeting the costs of hardship rate relief under section 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

John Healey: A local authority has to fund 25 per cent. of any hardship relief given.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on non-domestic rates: valuations, what the  (a) description and  (b) unique identifier given to each sub-location is in each billing authority area.

John Healey: Sub-location codes and associated descriptions are not maintained in available listings. The cost of extracting the requested data would be disproportionate.

Ordnance Survey: Publicity

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1060W, on Ordnance Survey: databases, if she will place in the Library copies of the promotional brochures for each of the Ordnance Survey products listed.

Iain Wright: I have today arranged for promotional materials for Ordnance Survey products OS MasterMap Topography Layer, OS MasterMap Address Layer 2, OS MasterMap Integrated Transport Layer, OS MasterMap Imagery Layer, Land-Form PROFILE Plus, Code-Point with Polygons and Boundary-Line to be placed in the Library.
	Ordnance Survey is not actively marketing ADDRESS-POINT or OS MasterMap Address Layer, and has therefore not issued promotional material for these products during 2007-08.
	Ordnance Survey has not produced promotional material in the year 2007-08 for 1:10 000 Scale Raster, 1:50 000 Colour Raster or 1:250 000 Colour Raster. The current policy is to promote these products via the Ordnance Survey website:
	www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Planning Permission: Hammersmith and Fulham

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the representation to her Department made by the hon. Member for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush (Mr. Slaughter) in relation to the planning application for the Gate Hotel, Olympia.

Iain Wright: There has been no written representation from my hon. Friend. The Government Office for London had a telephone representation from my hon. Friend stating that he was concerned about the application. The deputy leader of the Hammersmith and Fulham labour group, Councillor Cartwright subsequently wrote requesting call-in, stating that this had the support of my hon. Friend.

Planning Permission: Inland Waterways

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will issue planning guidelines relating to residential moorings; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We have no current plans to issue planning guidelines for residential moorings. Planning decisions on the provision of residential moorings are better taken locally after careful consideration of local circumstances, having regard to any relevant policies in the local development plan.

Property Development: Floods

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new dwellings have been built in areas designated as being at high flood risk in each Government Office region in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Between 1997 and 2007 an estimated 151,900 dwellings were built in areas of high flood risk, less than 10 per cent. of the total number of homes completed in England in that period. The following table gives a breakdown by year and region over that time. These figures have been estimated by applying the proportion of all new dwellings built in areas of high flood risk, as recorded by Land Use Change Statistics, to the published total number of house building completions. These estimates are not precise, and have therefore been rounded to the nearest 100 dwellings.
	Land Use Change Statistics Live Table 251 gives a regional breakdown of the percentage of all new dwellings that were built in areas of high flood risk. The table can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningbuilding/planningstatistics/livetables/landusechange/
	Housing Live Table 217 gives the number of permanent dwellings started and completed, by region and quarter. The table can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housebuilding/livetables/
	High flood risk areas account for about 10 per cent. of land in England.
	Planning policy on development and flood risk was strengthened in 2006 with the publication of Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), reflecting the importance of avoiding and managing flood risk in the location of new development. The Government's policy is to avoid inappropriate development in areas of risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas at highest risk. However it is not always possible to find a location at low flood risk. In parts of the country where virtually all land is within high flood risk areas and there are few, if any, low risk sites for development PPS25 imposes new requirements on planners to show that the need for development outweighs the flood risk, and to ensure that homes that have to be built in higher risk areas are safe and less susceptible to flood damage.
	
		
			  Number of dwellings built in flood risk areas, 1997-2007 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  1997-2007 
			 North East 200 100 100 0 100 100 200 100 100 100 200 1,500 
			 North West 1,000 1,200 800 1,100 1,400 1,100 1,400 1,000 900 1,200 1,100 12,100 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,700 800 1,300 1,700 1,500 1,400 2,000 1,300 1,800 2,300 3,200 19,100 
			 East Midlands 1,600 800 1,200 1,500 1,500 2,100 1,900 1,700 1,700 2,300 2,400 18,700 
			 West Midlands 600 800 800 400 500 900 400 700 600 800 500 6,900 
			 East of England 1,500 1,100 1,300 1,100 900 1,300 1,400 1,400 1,900 2,100 1,700 15,800 
			 London 3,400 3,500 3,200 3,000 2,900 3,200 4,700 6,600 3,100 3,600 4,100 41,300 
			 South East 1,800 1,900 2,000 1,900 1,800 1,600 2,100 1,800 1,900 2,300 1,800 21,100 
			 South West 1,700 1,000 1,400 1,300 1,500 1,700 1,500 1,300 1,400 1,600 1,200 15,500 
			 England 13,500 11,400 12,300 12,000 12,100 13,400 15,600 15,900 13,300 16,400 16,200 151,900 
			  Notes: 1. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded, therefore data are constantly being updated. 2. The data in the table are based on records received from Ordnance Survey up to June 2008, consistent with the October 2008 update of LUCS. 3. Figures may not add up due to rounding. 4. The definition of high flood risk areas used by Communities and Local Government is the high risk zone mapped by the Environment Agency as being at a probability of flooding, excluding the presence of flood defences, of at least one in one hundred each year for river flooding and at least one in 200 for coastal flooding. High flood risk areas account for about 10 per cent. of land in England, including parts of major cities such as London.

Public Buildings: Fire Prevention

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the proportion of public buildings, schools and social housing which have been equipped with a fire safety water sprinkler system; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: This information is not currently held centrally and thus could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Regeneration: North West

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which wards and programmes within Sefton have received funding from the Government Office for the North West programmes for  (a) capital investment in housing,  (b) major repairs allowance,  (c) disabled facilities grants,  (d) the Working Neighbourhoods Fund Community Empowerment Fund,  (e) Community Learning Chest,  (f) the Objective 1 Programme,  (g) the Community Champions Fund,  (h) UK Online,  (i) Connexions,  (j) Children and Young People,  (k) drug and alcohol training,  (l) Lifelong Learning Partnerships,  (m) renewable energy,  (n) Mersey Basin Campaign,  (o) building safer communities,  (p) Wardens Scheme,  (q) small retailer in deprived areas,  (r) Partnership Support Development,  (s) CCTV,  (t) Partnership Support Programme,  (u) Target Policing Initiative,  (v) prostitution and  (w) violence against women.

Sadiq Khan: Where Government funding is paid to the local authority decisions on how this funding is, or has been distributed within the authority in the past, are made locally. Information on expenditure at ward level is therefore not readily available. Some of the information requested relates to funding programmes which no longer exist, and for which information cannot readily be obtained.
	A number of funding streams as follows now form part of the area based grant which has been paid to local authorities since April 2008. Local areas have discretion to use this funding as they see fit to support delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their area, including the achievement of LAA targets. Sefton has received the following funding in 2008-09:
	 (a) Capital investment in housing4,455,000.
	 (b) Major Repairs Allowance nil.
	 (c) Disabled Facilities Grant964,000.
	 (d ) Working Neighbourhoods Fund6,225,786included within the area based grant. The Community Empowerment Fund is now discontinued.
	 (e) The Community Learning Chest is now discontinued.
	 (f) Information is not held on levels of European funding at ward level. As the objective 1 programme is Merseyside-wide in scope, a substantial amount of programme-funded activity will be delivered by organisations that have a pan-Merseyside remit. A project based on one particular area will therefore draw beneficiaries and spend money outside its immediate locality. However Sefton will benefit from the 920 million which has been invested through objective 1 since the programme's outset.
	 (g) The Community Champions Fund is now discontinued,
	 (h) UK Online is now discontinued.
	 (i) Connexions2,883,000included within the area based grant.
	 (j) The Department for Children, Schools and Families administers a number of grants which are now paid as part of the area based grant as follows:
	
		
			  Grants administered by Department for Children, Schools and Families   
			 School Development Grant 2,430,237 
			 Extended Schools Start-Up Grants 523,887 
			 Primary National StrategyCentral Co-ordination 138,565 
			 Secondary National StrategyCentral Co-ordination 182,536 
			 Secondary National StrategyBehaviour and Attendance 68,300 
			 School Improvement Partners 126,280 
			 Educational Health Partnerships 93,065 
			 School Travel Advisors 35,000 
			 Choice Advisors 33,418 
			 School Intervention Grant 78,600 
			 14-19 Flexible Funding Pot 88,694 
			 Sustainable TravelGeneral Duty 21,402 
			 Extended Rights to Free Transport 25,115 
			 Childrens Fund 789,660 
			 Childrens Trust Fund 4,883 
			 Positive Activities for Young People 289,101 
			 Teenage Pregnancy 130,000 
			 Childrens Social Care Workforce 94,528 
			 Care Matters White Paper 180,652 
			 Child Death Review Processes 37,425 
			 Young People's Substance Misuse 38,896 
			 Preventing Violence and Extremism Toolkit 8,000 
		
	
	 (k) The Drug and Alcohol Training Programme is now amalgamated within the Connexions Programme.
	 (1) Lifelong Learning Partnerships is now administered by the Learning and Skills Council.
	 (m) The Government office for the north-west administers no funding for renewable energy.
	 (n) Details on funding for Sefton are not held by the Mersey Basin Campaign.
	 (o) The Building Safer Communities Programme has now been amalgamated within the Safer Stronger Communities Fund for which Sefton has been allocated 681,316 as part of the area based grant.
	 (p) The Wardens Scheme is now discontinued.
	 (q) The Small Retailer in Deprived Areas Programme is now discontinued.
	 (r) Partnership Support Development is now discontinued.
	 (s) The CCTV Initiative is now discontinued.
	 (t) The Partnership Support Programme is now discontinued.
	 (u) The Target Policing Initiative is now discontinued.
	 (v) The Government office for the north-west administers no funds in respect of prostitution.
	 (w) The Violence Against Women programme is now discontinued, but Sefton has been allocated 20,000 this year in respect of independent domestic violence advisers.

Regional Planning and Development: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) sites and  (b) hectares of land were (i) available and (ii) potentially suitable for development in Castle Point constituency at the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State for Communities does not hold information for how many sites and hectares of land were available and potentially suitable for development in the Castle Point constituency. This information would be available from the local authority.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister is responsible for overseeing the progress of the south- west regional spatial strategy.

Iain Wright: The decision-making Minister with responsibility for overseeing the progress of the south-west regional spatial strategy is Baroness Andrews.

Rented Housing: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families in Hampshire were tenants of  (a) council,  (b) housing association and  (c) privately-owned accommodation allocated by local authorities (i) in 2006-07, (ii) in 2007-08 and (iii) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Information is collected at household level rather than by family. Local authorities in England report information for numbers of local authority owned (council) dwellings as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns.
	Table 1 as follows provides estimates for numbers of local authority owned dwellings in Hampshire for (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. The most recent figures are for 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Local authority stock by Hampshire district (at 1 April) 
			  Local authority  2007  2008 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 0 0 
			 East Hampshire 0 0 
			 Eastleigh 0 0 
			 Fareham 2,389 2,377 
			 Go sport 3,259 3,249 
			 Hart 1 1 
			 Havant 5,040 5,040 
			 New Forest 4,982 4,971 
			 Rushmoor 0 0 
			 Test Valley 0 0 
			 Winchester 5,114 5,269 
			 Hampshire 20,785 20,907 
		
	
	Further information on the number of local authority owned (council) dwellings for England, can be found in the statistical release Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing200708
	This information is also published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 116. Copies of the statistical release and live table have already been deposited in the Library.
	Information for the number of dwellings owned by housing associations has been collected by the Tenants Service Authority (formerly the Housing Corporation), via their annual Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR). Table 2 as follows provides estimates for numbers of Registered Social Landlord (RSL) owned dwellings in Hampshire for (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. The most recent figures are for 2008.
	
		
			  Table 2: Registered social landlord owned stock by Hampshire district (at 31 March) 
			  Local authority  2007  2008 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 12,128 12,041 
			 East Hampshire 5,326 5,350 
			 Eastleigh 6,110 6,151 
			 Fareham 1,102 1,230 
			 Gosport 2,371 2,401 
			 Hart 2,731 2,728 
			 Havant 4,841 4,981 
			 New Forest 2,851 2,898 
			 Rushmoor 5,800 5,855 
			 Test Valley 6,637 6,724 
			 Winchester 2,119 2,195 
			 Hampshire 52,016 52,554 
		
	
	Information for households housed in privately owned accommodation allocated by local authorities is not collected centrally.

Lettings Market: South West

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of trends in the  (a) residential and  (b) business lettings market in South West England.

Iain Wright: Information on residential and business lettings is not available. However, estimates of the total number of households in private rented accommodation in South West England from 2003 to 2008 are set out in the following table. These estimates are based on data from the ONS Labour Force Survey.
	
		
			  Private rented households in the Government Office Region for the South West, 2003 to 2008 
			   Number of households (thousand) 
			 2003 268 
			 2004 283 
			 2005 279 
			 2006 278 
			 2007 295 
			 2008 305 
			  Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey

Rising to the Challenge

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what response she plans to make to the Audit Commission's recent report Rising to the Challenge.

Sadiq Khan: The Government welcomed the Audit Commission's report when it was published last month. We supported the Commission's main findings and agreed there was more to be done to achieve efficiency savings on top of the 197.3 million the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) made between 2004 and 2008 against a target of 105 million.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government will work with the FRS and other stakeholders to address the performance issues identified by the Commission. The Fire and Rescue National Framework, published last year, already seeks delivery of a challenging efficiency target and improved performance on equality and diversity by the FRS and we are working with the service to deliver these objectives.
	Of the points which the Commission addressed specifically to central Government, we are already taking action on its recommendations that we should:
	actively publicise those FRSs delivering all elements of modernisation, including efficiency, and encourage those with furthest to travel;
	implement agreed proposals for developing operational guidance with the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor and other stakeholders;
	advocate the role the fire service can play in achieving community outcomes to other services;
	publish data on efficiency savings by FRSs;
	provide leadership and guidance on equality and diversity issues and the development of an organisational culture that embraces equality and diversity.
	We are considering appropriate further action, including the Commission's recommendation that we should:
	review the role of regional management boards and their place in the improvement infrastructure; then define and communicate its expectations of them and their potential value to FRAS.

Social Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vulnerable  (a) adults and  (b) children have been placed out-of-area in each year since 2005; and which were the most common destinations for such placements in each year.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level, about households rather than individuals.
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need (i.e. including dependent children, an expectant mother, or someone who is vulnerable in some way), and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Data collected include the number of households living in temporary accommodation pursuant to a homelessness duty at the end of each quarter, and the number of these where the accommodation was located outside the district of the placing local authority. The figures reported by each authority over the last three years, as at the last day of each year, are provided in a table which has been placed in the Library. These data are available at household level only  the number of adults and children living in temporary accommodation located outside the placing district is not held centrally.
	Information on the location of temporary accommodation provided outside the placing authority's district is also not held centrally.

Supporting People Programme

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on the future of the Supporting People initiative.

Iain Wright: The decision about the future of the Supporting People programme that was announced on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 90WS, was made following the evaluation of a pilot process with fifteen Pathfinder local authorities and also took into account consultation with a range of partners. This consultation included discussions at the Supporting People Sounding Board and Expert Reference Group and specific conversations with the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
	In addition to discussions at conferences and stakeholder groups since the Pathfinder process was announced in 2007, the views of a small sample of service users were also submitted and those of more than 400 Supporting People provider organisations were captured in an independent survey and report. A summary of this report can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/changingsupportingpeoplefunding
	The Department also received and considered written submissions from:
	Sitra (an umbrella body for providers of supported housing)
	Homeless Link
	The National Housing Federation
	Special Needs Housing Association Group

Tenants Rights

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made in the county courts in relation to tenancy deposit protection; and how many such applications resulted in fines in each of the last 12 months.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold any statistical information about county court applications relating specifically to tenancy deposit protection.
	This is because the administrative computer systems used in the county courts do not presently identify this specific application type. While the relevant cases will be logged on the system, they cannot be distinguished from other types of claims issued. Changing the administrative systems to create a specific case type for tenancy deposit protection cases would incur disproportionate cost.

Thames Gateway

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the Thames Gateway implementation planning baselines for delivery partners for 2008-11.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1241W.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications have been  (a) made and  (b) approved relating to energy from waste infrastructure; how many structures have been built consequentially; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government collects statistics for the number of planning applications which have been made and approved for 'incineration with energy recovery' waste facilities. However, the applications approved in any particular year are not necessarily the same facilities for which applications were made in that year. The information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Applications made  Applications approved 
			 2000-01 11 11 
			 2001-02 11 5 
			 2002-03 7 6 
			 2003-04 5 5 
			 2004-05 5 5 
			 2005-06 8 8 
			 2006-07 13 12 
			 2007-08 5 5 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government General Development Control Returns, CPS1/2 
		
	
	Communities and Local Government does not hold details on whether these facilities have been subsequently built or brought into operation.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Higher Education: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many pupils from schools in Blackpool South constituency went on to higher education in years  (a) 1992 to 1997,  (b) 1997 to 2002 and  (c) 2002 to 2007.

David Lammy: The available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the following table. Figures on entrants for 2007/08 were released on 29th January 2009. The figures show the number of school pupils from the Blackpool South constituency who entered higher education aged 18 or 19 in 1997/98 to 2007/08.
	
		
			  Number of entrants( 1,2,3)  aged 18 or 19 to undergraduate courses in UK higher education institutions from the parliamentary constituency of Blackpool South, 1997/98 to 2007/08figures as at 1 December (snapshot) 
			  Academic year  Number of children entering higher education aged 18 or 19 
			 2007-08 195 
			 2006-07 210 
			 2005-06 235 
			 2004-05 210 
			 2003-04 215 
			 2002-03 230 
			 2001-02 230 
			 2000-01 210 
			 1999-2000 200 
			 1998-99 200 
			 1997-98 190 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest five. Includes full and part-time students. (2) Excludes students at Open University. (3) Students have been allocated to the Blackpool South constituency based on the home postcode reference recorded on the HESA student record. Some of these pupils may not have attended Blackpool South schools.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record

Students: Finance

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much the Government allocated to the student hardship fund in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Access to Learning Fund (ALF) is a discretionary fund that provides additional support for higher education students in financial hardship. ALF is administered by higher education institutions following guidance issued by the Department. Individual institutions make their own decisions on how best to target their allocation, taking into account their student population and their knowledge of local circumstances.
	The following table shows how much funding was allocated to ALF over the past four academic years.
	
		
			  Academic year  Amount allocated to ALF ( million) 
			 2005-06 64.8 
			 2006-07 64.1 
			 2007-08 56.1 
			 2008-09 49.9 
		
	
	The reductions in the ALF budget should be viewed in the context of improved statutory support for students.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the impact of next generation broadband on the quality of broadband service available to  (a) rural and  (b) urban communities; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government fully recognise that next generation broadband could have a substantial beneficial impact on both rural and urban communities and economy. We will be examining the question of universality of broadband and options for maximising participation across the UK, as well as the importance of encouraging investment in next generation broadband as part of the Digital Britain Report. There will be an interim report in January, with the full report in late spring.
	Ofcom is currently consulting on the appropriate regulatory environment to help support investment in super-fast broadband services, while still promoting competition. It is only by achieving both that consumers will truly benefit from the services these new networks can deliver.

Broadband

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many of his Department's staff provided support to the Caio Review.

Patrick McFadden: This Department provided three permanent members of staff to support the review and one temporary member of staff.

Broadband

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the number of households which do not have access to broadband internet because  (a) local exchanges have not been enabled and  (b) shared line devices prevent a broadband connection.

Patrick McFadden: This Department has made no recent estimates, but BT has enabled exchanges that connect to over 99 per cent. of households. Satellite also provides nationwide geographical coverage.
	A shared line device does not necessarily prevent a broadband service, but it is not possible to know this until an order for broadband has been placed and the line tested. BT is also currently working to reduce the number of shared line devices on their network.

Broadband

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of households that do not have access to broadband internet in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Patrick McFadden: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Broadband

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has commissioned to compare the extent of broadband internet provision with that of other EU states.

Patrick McFadden: This Department has not recently commissioned a comparison of broadband internet provision with that of other EU states. To avoid duplication and for reasons of efficiency the Department uses existing resources such as Ofcom's international market reports and other non paid for sources to make international comparisons.

Business for New Europe

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what dates since 1 January 2007  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department or its predecessor have had discussions with Business for New Europe on European matters.

Gareth Thomas: BERR and its predecessor DTI Ministers and officials have cooperated and engaged with Business for New Europe (BNE), along with other organisations interested in the EU, on events related to EU policy. Similarly officials have had regular discussions with members of the BNE secretariat in preparation for these events. The attached list at Annex A gives further details of BERR events or ministerial meetings involving BNE since 1 January 2007.
	 ANNEX A
	11 September 2007: the BERR Secretary of State (John Hutton) had an introductory meeting with BNE members
	19 December 2007: John Hutton attended a BNE breakfast event on Europe
	14 January 2008: The BERR/FCO Business Priorities for a Global Europe Conference was organised in cooperation with BNE, with Roland Rudd chairing the event and BERR Secretary of State John Hutton was one of the speakers.
	7 May 2008: BERR Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Shriti Vadera spoke at BNE Enlargement Seminar
	17 June 2008: John Hutton attended a dinner with BNE members
	8 December 2008: The Global Europe Business Summit was attended by BERR Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Shriti Vadera and Roland Rudd was one of the business participants (representing BNE)
	10 December 2008: Lord Mandelson had a breakfast meeting with Roland Rudd and several BNE company members to discuss EU economic reform issues
	17 December 2008: Lord Mandelson had a second breakfast meeting with Roland Rudd and several other BNE company members to discuss EU economic reform issues

Business: Government Assistance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the merits of providing financial support to companies with an established record of operating in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Government financial support is available to businesses in the UK irrespective of whether they are ultimately UK-owned or foreign-owned.

Conditions of Employment: Surrogate Parenthood

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to extend maternity leave and employment protection rights afforded to parents to surrogate parents.

Patrick McFadden: The rights to maternity leave and pay were introduced as a measure to enable women to take time off at the end of pregnancy and after birth to protect their health and safety and that of their children.
	The Government have considered rights for surrogate parents from time to time. The need to keep the various leave and pay provisions as straightforward as possible for employers to manage, and ensure that the qualifying conditions reflect the policy rationale for the entitlement in the first place, inevitably mean that certain groups are not covered.
	Parents who have a child through a surrogacy arrangement are able to benefit from many of the rights the Government have put in place to support working parents. This includes the right to parental leave, to time off for dependants and the right to request a flexible working pattern. The father of a child born through a surrogacy arrangement and who fulfils the normal eligibility criteria will be able to take two weeks' paid paternity leave.

Cox Review

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many staff from his Department have provided support for the Creative Britain Review;
	(2)  what expenditure his Department incurred in relation to the Creative Britain Review.

Patrick McFadden: The Creative Britain report was published in February 2008 by this Department and the Departments of Culture Media and Sport and Innovation Universities and Skills. In the year leading up to publication, the equivalent of one full time staff member was provided by this Department. BERR's contribution to the report's publication cost was 30,000.

Debts

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of  (a) the number of individuals subject to and  (b) failing to meet the terms of debt management plans in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what representations from  (a) individuals and  (b) businesses his Department has received regarding the working and effectiveness of debt management plans in the last year;
	(3)  what recent representations his Department has received from individuals and organisations on the regulation of debt management plans; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: As noted in my earlier written reply to the hon. Member on 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column reference 425W; because a debt management plan (DMP) is an informal agreement between a debtor and his creditors there is no official estimate of their numbers. The only representations received regarding the working and effectiveness of DMPs have concentrated on whether some debtors would be better placed in individual voluntary arrangements rather than DMPs.

Departmental Billing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's policy is on paying supplier invoices within 10 days; and how many and what proportion of such invoices to his Department were settled within 10 days in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: BERR's policy is to make all payments within 10 days, in line with the PM's commitment of 8 October 2008.
	During November and December 2008, the first two months of formally recording performance against the new 10-day target and in advance of new guidance to suppliers being fully embedded, BERR paid 93.1 per cent. (2,205 invoices) and 96.9 per cent. (2,112 invoices) of invoices within 10 working days respectively.

Departmental Catering

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) food and  (b) drinks companies have supplied his Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to each of those suppliers in each year.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 15 January 2009
	Over the last three years this Department has a recorded spend of approximately 1.2 million each year on refreshments for official meetings and engagements. This spend was made through the Department's contracted service provider, Baxter Storey. It is not possible to separate food and drink spending.

Departmental Compensation

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the 10 highest payments made by his Department in settlement of property compensation cases brought against it in respect of which legal proceedings have been concluded were in the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of the cases were  (a) contested and  (b) uncontested by his Department; and what the nature of each incident was.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform settled five property compensation cases in the last 12 months, none of which were contested.
	1. 110.78 cost of replacing a suitcase badly damaged during transit between official overseas visits.
	2. 60.00 insurance excess paid as a result of damage to car being used on official business.
	3. 50.00 cost of replacing clothing damage.
	4. 43.27 cost of goods required for official stopover in excess of 24 hours when luggage had already been checked on to a flight to Houston.
	5. 29.00 cost of replacing a rucksack badly damaged by excess weight and size of official papers on return from overseas posting.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1130W, on departmental personnel, how many staff without posts there were in his Department at the latest date for which figures are available; how many such staff were classified as such upon return from maternity leave; and how many of the staff without posts have been classified as such for at least  (a) six and  (b) 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: As at 1 January 2009, there were seven staff without posts; none was classified as such upon return from maternity leave. Fewer than five people fall into the remaining categories and precise numbers are not available for reasons of confidentiality.

Departmental Official Visits

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to the public purse of hotel accommodation for  (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (b) his special advisers was for the three day tour that was undertaken between 7 and 9 January 2009; and which hotels (i) he and (ii) his special advisers stayed in during the tour.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State stayed overnight in Manchester on 7 January in order to host a business breakfast on 8 January. The hotel and accommodation costs were arranged by the agency which deals with overnight accommodation for BERR. My noble Friend, the Secretary of State was not accompanied by a special adviser.

Departmental Public Service Agreements

John Thurso: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his estimate is of expenditure on CSR 2007 Public Service Agreement 1, Raising the Productivity of the UK Economy, in  (a) the core Department and  (b) those non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible.

Patrick McFadden: We do not hold this information centrally. In accordance with HM Treasury's financial reporting manual, Government Departments set out their accounts with departmental spend broken down by departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) rather than public service agreement (PSA) outcome.
	As PSA 1 is cross-departmentalrequiring the work of a number of Departments to contribute towards its achievementthe costs are spread across a variety of Government programmes. As our understanding of the drivers of productivity evolve alongside our understanding of the current global economic climate, the composition of the programmes involved in the PSA's delivery are subject to change. Consequently, Government expenditure is managed at DSO rather than PSA level.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been spent by his Department on temporary staff in each year since it was established.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 November 2008,  Official Report , column 906W to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individuals have worked in his Department on  (a) paid work experience or internship placements and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each year since its establishment; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform participates annually in the Cabinet Office Diversity Internship Programme for undergraduates and graduates in education from ethnic minority backgrounds who are under represented in the civil service. The scheme provides an eight week paid placement scheme for students who are considering the civil service as future career.
	Based on the information available from 2003 to 2008, a total of 30 students have been placed in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (and its predecessor the Department of Trade and Industry) as part of the scheme. Each student worked full-time on a variety of administrative tasks and all completed an eight week placement. On average, each person received 285.00 per week remuneration.
	 (b) This information for this section is not collected centrally and would involve disproportionate cost to provide.

EU Recovery Plan

Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the provisions of the European Commission's EU Recovery Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government welcome the European Economic Recovery Plan published by the European Commission. The UK Government have announced measures to directly tackle the slowdown in the UK economy but it is important to have a co-ordinated response from all member states.
	The provisions of the recovery plan, worth 200 billion (1.5 per cent. of EU GDP), should limit the scale of the economic downturn that is currently being experienced and avoid the downward spiral effect that may materialise from falling demand. The money will be used to target different priority areas, including job training, investment in research and technology and investment in energy infrastructure. The fiscal stimulus combined with proposals designed to speed up the structural reforms under the Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy will improve the long-term competitiveness of Europe. For instance, the importance of continuing to invest in research and development is recognised in the recovery plan, providing a platform for the long-term on which Europe can capitalise once the economy has emerged from the downturn.

Furniture: Credit

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will discuss with his French counterpart measures to support credit insurance arrangements for the furniture industry.

Ian Pearson: This Department is discussing these issues with industry. We have also had discussions with partners across Europe including those in the French Administration.

India

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Secretary of State's official engagements were during his visit to India in January 2009.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform undertook a number of official engagements during his visit in January 2009. These meetings are listed as follows by date and location.
	 19 January 2009New Delhi
	Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit
	Meeting with Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Minister of Power and Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State in the Departments of Commerce and Power accompanied by a UKTI nuclear delegation
	Meeting with Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Science and Technology
	Lunch with Indian Economic Commentators
	Meeting with Mr. P. C. Gupta, Minister for Corporate Affairs
	Reception with UK India Business Council (UKIBC) Advisory and Executive Boards
	Televised panel discussion with Mr. Kamal Nath and Indian business leaders
	 20 January 2009New Delhi
	Meeting with Mr. Ratan Tata, CEO Tata Group
	Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) Ministerial meeting with Mr. Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry, followed by keynote speech to JETCO Plenary session
	Meeting with Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
	Meeting with Mr. Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies Ltd.
	Meeting with Indian inward investors
	Drinks with leading members of the British Business community in Delhi
	Dinner with Mr. Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce an Industry
	 21 January 2009-Pune
	Symposium on International Automotive Technology
	Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA)lunch with board members and British Business Group Pune
	Visit to Bajaj Group R and D centre with Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Group
	 22 January 2009Mumbai
	Breakfast hosted by the British Business Group, Mumbai
	Meeting with Benoy Ltd.
	Visit to Larsen and Toubro Ltd.
	Opening of UKIBC Mumbai office
	CII/UKIBC Business reception
	 23 January 2009Mumbai
	Meeting with Indian Minister of Law and Justice, Mr. Hansraj Bharadwaj
	Launch of Setting up in the UK for Indian Law Firms Brochure
	Meeting with Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI)
	Meeting with Mr. Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharastra
	Dinner with MDs of Tata Group companies

India

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations Ministers from his Department met during their visit to India in January 2009.

Gareth Thomas: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform visited India on 19-23 January 2009. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given him today to his question 252356 which gives a list of official engagements. During his visit Lord Mandelson met numerous individuals and organisations at various events. A full list could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

UK Trade and Investment: India

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate has been made of the amount spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,  (b) other Ministers from his Department,  (c) special advisers and  (d) civil servants for the UK Trade and Investment trip to India in January 2009.

Gareth Thomas: The following amounts were spent on hotel accommodation by my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform during his visit to India in January 2009:
	 (a) Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform: 336.
	 (b) Other Ministers from Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform: 0.
	 (c) Special adviser: 336
	 (d) Civil servants: 5,446,
	My noble Friend the Secretary of State, his Private Secretary and Special Adviser stayed at the high commissioner's residence during the Delhi leg of the visit. There was insufficient space for the rest of the delegation to stay at the residence. The entire party stayed in a hotel during the Mumbai leg of the visit.

Internet

John Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of  (a) the average internet speed available to business users in the UK and  (b) the effect of available internet speed on the competitiveness of UK businesses.

Patrick McFadden: The Department has made no recent estimations on average internet speed and the effect of available internet speed on the competitiveness of UK businesses. However, I recognise the importance of internet for businesses and UK competitiveness and will be examining the question of universality of broadband and options for maximising participation across the UK as part of the Digital Britain Report. There will be an interim report in this month, with a full report in late spring.
	Large businesses on the whole have the financial capacity to purchase sufficient bandwidth to match their needs. For smaller businesses service providers offer a range of packages to suit different business needs. Offers include speeds ranging from 500kbps8Mbps at the lower end and up to 24Mbps at the upper end. There is also broadband provision to science parks across the UK.
	ONS reported that over 90 per cent. of businesses have broadband connections. Ofcom publish data on take-up of broadband by small business in their Communications Market reports and the 2008 report indicated that the large majority of small businesses now have broadband.
	Ofcom also recently published a study on actual consumer experience of broadband the results of which can be found at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/telecoms/reports/bbspeed_jan09/

Lord Taylor of Blackburn

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether  (a) the Secretary of State and his predecessor and  (b) officials in his Department have received any (i) written and (ii) oral representations from Lord Taylor of Blackburn in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 2 February 2009
	No.

Motor Vehicles: Industry

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what assistance his Department is providing to UK truck manufacturers;
	(2)  what steps his Department plans to take to protect jobs in the vehicle manufacturing and component supply chain.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the House on 27 January 2009.

Political Levy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 66W, on the political levy, whether the Certification Officer has provided guidance on this issue.

Patrick McFadden: The Certification Officer has not provided guidance on this specific issue. However, in his Guide to political fund review ballots he states that
	The Act is silent as to whether the ballot paper may be accompanied by an explanatory statement, a recommendation or other literature. However, unions should be aware of the requirement that members must be able to vote without interference or constraint.

Post Office

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the Post Office has contributed to the Exchequer in external financing contributions to Government revenues  (a) since its establishment as a public corporation and  (b) in each of the last 30 years; and if he will express each figure in current prices.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 January 2009
	 : The External Financing Limit (EFL) regime, whereby the Post Office corporation was required to generate funds for the Exchequer, began in 1976-77. A total of 2,48l million was generated up to financial year 1998-99 and the amounts were retained on the company's balance sheet. These funds were not removed from the company and used for Government purposes. Instead the funds were used to support the Post Office Network and more recently the Royal Mail pension fund. The EFL regime no longer applied beyond this period.
	The following table shows the value of the EFL outturns for financial years 1976-77 to 1998-99 in historic as well as current prices.
	
		
			  Post Office corporation EFL outturns from 1976-77 to 1998-99 
			   million 
			   EFL outturn  Current Price( 1) 
			 1976-77 1 4.7 
			 1977-78 22 94.6 
			 1978-79 17 64.5 
			 1979-80 3 9.6 
			 1980-81 8 23 
			 1981-82 13 34.4 
			 1982-83 60 151.7 
			 1983-84 62 149.4 
			 1984-85 100 227.1 
			 1985-86 75 164.7 
			 1986-87 93 196.1 
			 1987-88 80 160.8 
			 1988-89 102 190.2 
			 1989-90 102 173.8 
			 1990-91   
			 1991-92 74 114.8 
			 1992-93 80 122.1 
			 1993-94 182 271.3 
			 1994-95 235 338.6 
			 1995-96 245 344.7 
			 1996-97 268 365.6 
			 1997-98 338 445.8 
			 1998-99 321 416.9 
			 Total 2,481 4,064.4 
			 (1) Current price calculated with reference to the Retail Price Index data obtained from the Office for National Statistics.

Post Office

Frank Field: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Government's proposals for the reform of the Post Office entail the assumption of responsibility by the Government for liability arising from underfunding; or whether the Government plan to assume such responsibility in return for the underwriting of future pension promises.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The details of how the Government will tackle Royal Mail's pension deficit are still being developed. My noble Friend the Secretary of State will be making a detailed policy statement on the Government's package of proposals for reform in the early part of this year.

Postal Services: EU Countries

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information he holds on the charge made for posting a standard-size letter of up to 50 grams in  (a) the Netherlands and  (b) other EU member states.

Patrick McFadden: Postcomm, the postal industry regulator, holds comparative data on European stamp prices. Listings of European stamp prices ordered by weight and by country, including the prices charged in the Netherlands, can be found on Postcomm's website:
	http://www.psc.gov.uk/about-the-mail-market/international-market-reviews/european-comparisons-letter-prices.html
	The recently published Hooper Report also provided a table on European stamp prices. Copies of the report can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/postalservices/Review/page45129.html

Postal Services: EU Countries

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information he holds on the number of EU member states where postal deliveries are made six days a week.

Patrick McFadden: Information concerning postal regimes in other European countries can be found in the 2008 Ecorys report on developments in the postal sectora pan European study commissioned by the European Commission's postal unit. The website address is:
	http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/studies/2008-ecorys-final_en.pdf

Royal Mail: Pensions

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many pension contribution holidays Royal Mail and its predecessors have taken in each year since 1980; and if he will express in current prices the monetary value of each contribution not made.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 January 2009
	 : The Post Office (now Royal Mail Group Limited) suspended employer contributions to one of its schemes, Post Office Staff Superannuation Scheme (POSSS), with effect from 1 April 1990. Reasons for suspending included the impact of changes in tax law to the treatment of excessive surplus. Contributions to the POSSS recommenced on 1 April 2003.
	There is no single answer for the possible accumulated current value of the suspended contributions as it would involve the need to make complex assumptions over the period since 1990, based on decisions taken by a number of interested parties.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to my hon. Friend supplying further detail around the contribution holiday.
	A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Security Industry: Competition

Eric Joyce: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Secretary of State next plans to meet representatives of the security industry to discuss levels of competition in the sector.

Gareth Thomas: Ministers have no plans to meet industry representatives to discuss this matter. It is for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), as the UK's independent competition regulator, to promote competition in markets and enforce competition law. Anyone concerned that there are anti-competitive features of a market or that a market is not working well for consumers, should raise the matter with the OFT who have the relevant powers to take appropriate action where necessary.

Security Industry: Competition

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the effect on levels of competition in the security industry of the merger of Group 4 and Securicor.

Gareth Thomas: Group 4 Falck and Securicor merged to form G4S plc. in 2004. The merger fell for consideration by the European Commission under the EC Merger Regulation and was cleared subject to commitments, including the requirement on Group 4 to divest its cash-in-transit business in Scotland.

Security Industry: Competition

Ian McCartney: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the level of competition in the security industry sector.

Gareth Thomas: None. It is for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), as the UK's independent competition regulator, to promote competition in markets and enforce competition law. Anyone concerned that there are anti-competitive features of a market or that a market is not working well for consumers, should raise the matter with the OFT who have the relevant powers to take appropriate action where necessary.

British Summertime

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will commission a review of the effects of the application of British Summertime over the next 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: The Government believe that the current Summertime arrangements are a satisfactory compromise between those who prefer lighter mornings and those who prefer lighter evenings.
	There are no plans to commission a review of the arrangements or the effects but the Government will continue to listen to arguments for and against change.

Trade: International Cooperation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he expects the Doha round of trade negotiations to resume in 2009; and whether he expects them to include negotiations on a general agreement on trade in services.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Government remain fully committed to an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha round. We are working with the EU Trade Commissioner, other EU member states and other WTO members on the importance of concluding the ongoing negotiations as early as possible, with a view to achieving an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the round in 2009. Negotiations to extend the existing general agreement on trade in services will be an integral part of the negotiations and of the final Doha deal.

Union Modernisation Fund

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board from each of its meetings in the last 24 months.

Patrick McFadden: There are no minutes of the UMF Supervisory Board for the last 24 months.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many expressions of interest in setting up an academy have been received by his Department in each year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following numbers of expressions of interest were signed in each year: four in 2000; nine in 2001; 10 in 2002; 15 in 2003; 16 in 2004; 22 in 2005; 50 in 2006; 52 in 2007; 42 in 2008; and one in January 2009. This gives a total of 221 signed expressions of interest since 2000. Of these, six projects did not progress beyond this stage. This is usually due to a joint decision between the Department and the local authority not to proceed.

Association for Citizenship Teaching

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has provided to the Association for Citizenship Teaching in each year since 2003.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following figures show how much the Department has funded the Association for Citizenship Teachers (ACT) in each year since 2003:
	
		
			   Funding for ACT () 
			 2003-04 0.00 
			 2004-05 4,400.00 
			 2005-06 39,506.00 
			 2006-07 169,989.80 
			 2007-08 80,000.00 
			 2008-09 33,300.00

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of the Building Schools for the Future programme to educational transformation and learning attainment; and if will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In 2006, we commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to evaluate the impact of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) on educational attainment. This is in line with HM Treasury Green Book requirements for independent evaluation of major new programmes. PricewaterhouseCoopers has now delivered its second annual report on this evaluation, which we published on 20 January 2009. I will make this report available in the House Library.
	Although 50 BSF schools are now open, the pupils have only been in the new schools for a short time. So it is still too early for pupils' results in tests and exams to tell us about the benefit the pupils are deriving from the new schools. The report therefore concentrates on management of the programme. It shows that BSF is gaining momentum, and that as schools and authorities progress through it, there is increasing sharpness of focus on achieving educational transformation. The majority of head teachers view BSF as educationally transformational and believe that it will allow their schools to deliver better outcomes for pupils, that teachers will be able to focus more on personalised teaching and learning, and that it will increase the range of services offered to support learners and their families.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to ensure that the operational performance of Building Schools for the Future schools meets the standards projected by the design team in each case.

Jim Knight: Within 'Building Schools for the Future' (BSF), the strategic partnering agreement between a local authority and its private sector partner (PSP) requires the PSP to carry out a customer satisfaction evaluation of every school that is built one year after it has opened. The methodology is to capture customer views through use of the design quality indicator tool, DQI for Schools.
	All major school projects, including those constructed within the BSF programme, are required to undergo an environmental assessment using the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). This method now includes a post-construction review which compares an assessment of the environmental impact of the school as constructed against impact as designed.
	But BSF is much more than a building programme; it forms part of the Government's wider strategy to transform children and young people's experience of schooling. So in 2006 the Department commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to evaluate the impact of BSF on educational attainment. PwC has now delivered its second annual report on this evaluation, which was published on 20 January 2009.

Commercial Group

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the performance of his Department's Commercial Group in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Commercial Group's responsibilities fall under four main areas: Capability and Capacity of Procurement, Estates and Facilities Management, Enterprise Resource Planning and Sustainable Development. The Permanent Secretary and his Management Board keep under regular review the Department's performance, including that of Commercial Group.
	In addition, a procurement capability review was carried out by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in 2007 which was reviewed again by OGC in 2008. Positive progress was noted as the Department implements its post-review action plan.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department provides for staff.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not directly operate any catering facilities. Catering in all of our buildings is provided by our contracted service provider, Aramark. This includes a staff restaurant and vending in all four buildings and a cafe area in Sanctuary Buildings, London.
	There are no franchised catering outlets in any of our headquarter buildings.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of his Department's  (a) voted and  (b) non-voted capital departmental expenditure limit for 2008-09 remains unallocated.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not have any voted unallocated provision for capital departmental expenditure limit (DEL) in 2008-09. The Department currently has no non-voted capital DEL which will be reflected in the publication of the spring supplementary estimate 2008-09, provisional on 10 February 2009.
	The last reported non-voted capital DEL figure of 63.7 million can be sourced from the Department's 2008-09 winter supplementary (page 33) as published on HM Treasury's website under unallocated capital provision.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which ICT projects his Department and its predecessors initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) does not hold a current comprehensive list of ICT projects at the level of detail requested. This could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department has been in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In accordance with paragraph 10.11 from the Ministerial Code, the Department does not provide Government cars to special advisers.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children Schools and Families, together with its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have identified up to 800 million to be brought forward from the 2010-11 financial year to the 2009-10 financial year.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of 700.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is not recorded. We aim to publish as much information as possible and would consider providing an answer, despite it exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold, if it was deemed to be in the public interest.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what investigations he has undertaken into the circumstances surrounding the failure of the contract to deliver the education maintenance allowance in 2008; and what conclusions he has drawn from that investigation.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have operational responsibility for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and as such they contract for the help line, assessment and payment function for EMA. The management of that contract including its performance is a matter for the LSC. The LSC has instigated its own internal review of the contract failures by Liberata last year. The review has been commissioned by Chris Banks the LSC National Chair and Mark Haysom the LSC Chief Executive and is independent of the LSC executive. The review report will go to the LSC National Council in early March. The Department will consider lessons learnt in the light of the outcome of the LSC's review.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when Miss Emma Roberts of West Lancashire constituency will begin receiving education maintenance allowance payments; and whether those payments will be backdated to September 2008.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for West Lancashire with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.

Education: Assessments

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he last met the Examination Officers Association to discuss the effect on the conduct of examinations of recent problems with the marking and return of examinations and test scripts.

Jim Knight: I met Andrew Harland, the chief executive of the Examination Officers' Association (EOA), on 5 June 2008. This meeting was to discuss the work the EOA is doing to support examinations officers. My officials have had regular contacts with the EOA since then.

Education: Assessments

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the timetable is for the introduction of single level tests after the conclusion of the pilots in July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: No decisions have yet been made about any roll out of single level tests (SLTs) nationally. Any roll out will be subject to positive evaluation findings and to endorsement of the approach from Ofqual. We are therefore continuing to monitor progress closely and have asked the expert group on assessment to consider emerging evidence on single level tests from the making good progress pilot.

Education: Finance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the levels of spending on  (a) primary schools,  (b) secondary schools and  (c) colleges in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the next five years.

Jim Knight: The Department maintains records of allocations made, on a local authority basis, to local authorities and schools in England. It does not maintain separate records of primary and secondary schools, as expenditure on these is prioritised locally. It does not maintain records of further education college allocations. Actual expenditure within an authority will differ from allocations made. This is due to (a) timing differences between allocations and spend (b) local prioritisation (c) other local resources. Allocations are made on a three year basis, currently covering the years 2008-09 to 2010-11. Accordingly, no figures are maintained beyond 2010-11. Allocations made so far in respect of England, the North West, Middlesbrough and Cleveland, for the period 2009-10 and 2010-11 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   2008-09  2010-11 
			 England 4,059 4,613 
			 The North East 230.7 260.4 
			 Middlesbrough 9.8 12.1 
			 Cleveland 16.8 19.1

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families at how many maintained mainstream schools  (a) 50 per cent. or more and  (b) 75 per cent. or more of pupils did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: In 38 maintained mainstream schools 50 per cent. or more of the pupils did not attain any GCSE and equivalent grades higher than a D in 2007/08.
	No maintained mainstream schools have 75 per cent. or more of the pupils who did not attain any GCSE and equivalent grades higher than a D in 2007/08.
	These figures relate to GCSE and equivalent and based on pupils at the end of KS4 in all maintained mainstream schools.
	Only schools with 10 or more pupils are included in the answer.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many schools less than 30 per cent. of eligible pupils achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics in the last 12 months, broken down by decile of income deprivation affecting children indices.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of schools( 1, 2)  where fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils( 3)  achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and mathematics by IDACI decile( 4) , 2007/08( 5, 6) 
			  IDACI Decile( 4 ) (percentage)  Number of schools where fewer than 30 per cent. of eligible pupils achieved 5+ A*-C at GCSE including English and maths in 2007/08 
			 0-10most deprived 78 
			 10-20 86 
			 20-30 74 
			 30-40 50 
			 40-50 45 
			 50-60 25 
			 60-70 36 
			 70-80 25 
			 80-90 11 
			 90-100least deprived 10 
			 Total 440 
			 (1 )Including only those maintained mainstream schools with results published in the 2008 Achievement and Attainment tables. (2 )Including city technology colleges and academies. (3 )Pupils at the end of key stage 4. (4 )2007 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index at Super Output Area level based on the location of the school. (5 )Figures are based on revised data. (6 )Includes attempts and achievements in previous academic years.

Health Education: Sex

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's reasons are for permitting the use of pornography in sex and relationship education classes as a teaching aid.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not advocate the use of pornographic material in schools. However, all schools are required to have an up-to-date sex and relationships education policy which, among other things, sets out how sex and relationships education will be provided and how it will be monitored and evaluated. The Department's 'Sex and Relationships Guidance (2000)' for schools outlines their responsibilities in this area.

National Curriculum Tests

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many key stage 2 national curriculum test papers have been remarked in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the administration of the Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Curriculum tests, including the external marking and review service to schools.
	The QCA publishes data on review volumes as part of its annual Test statistics. The Test statistics can be found at:
	www.naa.org.uk/naa_19205.aspx
	The total number of reviews requested at key stage 2 for the 2004 to 2007 rounds are as follows:
	
		
			   Reviews requested 
			 2004 13,232 
			 2005 21,533 
			 2006 19,486 
			 2007 11,530 
		
	
	The QCA has not yet published 2008 figures for key stage 2 reviews. These figures will be published over the coming weeks, and will comply with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice.

Outdoor Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto Partnership on the  (a) number and  (b) quality of school activities outside the classroom.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has not made an assessment of the effects of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto Partnership on the quantity and quality of learning outside the classroom activities.
	Prior to the launch of the manifesto in November 2006, the Department published an assessment of activity and practice in schools and local authorities. This found that provision had either increased over the last five years, or had remained broadly the same; and was predicted to remain steady or to increase, over the following academic year. The independent Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, which will take forward this work from April this year, is proposing a further study.
	With our partners, the Department has brought together existing safety and quality badges into one easily recognisable Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge for provider organisations. From 30 January 2009, it will be awarded to providers who have demonstrated that they meet six quality indicators. To support schools in planning, organising and evaluating these experiences, the Department published the 'Out and About' guidance in October 2008.

Personal Social and Health Education Review

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the independent review of personal social and health education, led by Sir Alisdair MacDonald, will present its findings.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The independent review into making Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education statutory, being led by Sir Alasdair Macdonald, will report in April 2009. Proposals for the statutory implementation of PSHE education will be the subject of a full public consultation and the parliamentary process.

Primary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which Qualifications and Curriculum Authority staff are undertaking support work for the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority staff from within its Curriculum Group are undertaking work in support of Sir Jim Rose's Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum.

Private Education: Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age pupils in (i) Reading and (ii) Wokingham attended independent schools in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Independent schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils aged five to 10 and 11 to 15( 2)  (Position in January 2008) 
			   Pupils aged five to 10  Pupils aged 11 to 15 
			   Number  Percentage( 3)  All pupils aged five to 10  Number  Percentage( 3)  All pupils aged 11 to 15 
			 Reading 730 8.1 9,060 1,410 21.4 6,600 
			 Wokingham 990 8.5 11,550 1,150 11.4 10,100 
			 England 198,480 5.6 3,531,130 233,710 7.4 3,160,390 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Age as at 31 August in previous year (start of academic year). (3) Number of pupils in independent schools expressed as a percentage of number of pupils in same age group across all schools (excludes dually registered pupils).  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many schools over 30 per cent. of pupils received a fixed period exclusion in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table:
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) : Number of schools by the percentage of pupils who receive a fixed period exclusion( 4, 5. ) 2006/07, England 
			  Percentage of pupils who receive one or more fixed period exclusions per school  Number of schools  Percentage of schools 
			 0 11,276 51.7 
			 1 to 30 10,417 47.7 
			 More than 30 127 0.6 
			 Total(6) 21,823  
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes CTCs and academies. (3 )Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (4 )Based on the number of pupils who receive one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion while attending a particular school at some point during 2006/07, expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils recorded at the same school in January 2007, excluding dual registrations. (5 )Based on the number of schools open in January 2007. (6 )Includes three schools where all pupils in January 2007 were dual registrations.  Source:  School Census.

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) fixed period and  (b) permanent exclusions were of students at schools with (i) less than 10 per cent., (ii) between 10 and 30 per cent., (iii) between 30 and 50 per cent., and (iv) more than 50 per cent. of children eligible for free school meals in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals were classed as persistent absentees in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the following table;
	
		
			  Persistent absentee( 1 ) in primary, secondary and special schools( 2,3 ) with free school meal (FSM) eligibility, 2006-07England 
			   Pupil enrolments in schools during 2006-07( 4,5)  Percentage of half days missed( 6) 
			   Number  Percentage( 7)  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 Pupils known to be eligible for FSM 95,760 9.3 21.04 14.04 35.08 
			 Other pupils(8) 177,190 3.2 23.44 11.62 35.07 
			 Total(8) 272,950 4.1 22.59 12.48 35.07 
			 (1 )Persistent Absentees are defined as having more than 63 sessions of absence (authorised and unauthorised) during the year, typically over 20 per cent overall absence rate. (2 )Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (4 )Number of enrolments in schools from start of the school year to 25 May, 2007. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15. Excludes boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school). (5 )Enrolments for whom absence data are missing have been excluded. (6 )The number of sessions missed due to authorised/unauthorised/overall absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions of Persistent Absentees. (7 )The number of Persistent Absentee enrolments expressed as a percentage of the total number of enrolments with same gender or year group or SEN etc. (8 )Includes pupil enrolments for whom characteristic data were unclassified or missing. Total rates may be higher than rates for each subgroup.  Note :  Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census 
		
	
	and was also published in a Statistical First Release in February 2008 at:-
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000775/index.shtml

Pupils: Food

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils are known to have food intolerance in each local authority area;
	(2)  how many children of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age in each local authority area have been referred for food intolerance testing after having visited an educational psychiatrist or educational psychologist in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is not collected by the Department.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority: Public Appointments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he requested the resignation of the Chief Executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Dr. Ken Boston; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, made no such request.

Schools: Arson

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools closed for a period of two weeks or more as a result of an act of arson in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of repair to school premises following acts of arson in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how many incidents of arson against schools have been recorded in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the number of such fires which were started externally.

Jim Knight: The Department does not have any figures for the numbers of schools closed as a result of an arson attack or for the cost of repairs to school premises following acts of arson in the last three years. The latest information we have on the costs of repairs is that according to estimates made by Communities and Local Government the average cost of school fires for 2000-04 was 58 million per year.
	According to the latest available provisional figures for 2007, there were 348 deliberate fires in schools in England, of which 73 (21 per cent.) were started externally. Figures are partially based on sampled weighted data.
	Arson is a legal term not used in the national fire statistics collection; deliberate fires are those as determined by the Fire and Rescue Service in attendance at the fire.

Schools: Arson

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school buildings have sustained structural damage requiring repair following acts of arson in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold this information.

Schools: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school buildings in Blackpool since the local authority became a unitary authority in 1998-99.

Jim Knight: The Department relies on local authorities to prioritise resources, and does not keep central records of the split of expenditure between primary and secondary schools. The Department has allocated 101.7 million to Blackpool between 1998-99 and the present, including the current year 2008-09.

Schools: Buildings

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school buildings in each local authority area in England in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates funding to local authorities and schools to be prioritised locally in accordance with asset management plans. Local expenditure on schools will differ from allocations in any single year due to (a) timing differences between allocation and spend, (b) decisions taken locally by local authorities and (c) the amount of other resources available locally.
	Figures on allocations regarding the total of the major school capital programmes to each local authority area in each of the last 10 years, 1998-99 to 2007-08 can be found in the following tables.
	
		
			  School capital allocations: major programmes 
			   million 
			  LEA  No.  LEA  name  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 3.8 1.4 3.2 3.5 5.5 7.4 42.2 7.7 
			 302 Barnet 3.1 1.8 5.6 3.9 12.0 8.9 18.1 14.9 
			 370 Barnsley 3.9 3.2 7.2 5.1 7.6 8.2 11.1 63.1 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 3.3 2.8 2.6 2.4 5.5 6.3 14.0 13.5 
			 820 Bedfordshire 3.2 2.8 6.3 7.2 16.7 40.9 22.6 22.9 
			 303 Bexley 1.8 4.3 6.4 6.6 9.2 9.5 49.5 26.4 
			 330 Birmingham 7.5 6.1 62.7 15.5 38.3 39.4 59.0 119.1 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 0.0 0.0 1.8 3.1 6.4 6.6 11.1 11.3 
			 890 Blackpool 0.0 0.0 2.8 4.3 7.3 9.4 8.3 18.0 
			 350 Bolton 2.1 3.4 5.1 8.9 12.0 14.6 18.4 18.2 
			 837 Bournemouth 0.0 2.1 1.9 3.7 6.8 7.8 5.9 6.6 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 0.0 0.0 1.8 2.0 3.0 2.7 4.0 10.0 
			 380 Bradford 6.4 6.5 8.9 54.1 59.2 58.8 58.8 25.2 
			 304 Brent 0.2 0.9 3.1 6.9 17.4 10.3 10.8 17.6 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 0.0 3.9 4.5 6.1 8.5 30.1 8.5 12.6 
			 801 Bristol, City of 3.5 1.2 5.8 7.0 14.4 19.4 17.7 76.8 
			 305 Bromley 1.7 1.4 2.8 3.7 9.0 9.5 11.0 15.7 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 12.0 5.5 9.3 13.1 21.1 18.3 25.6 33.4 
			 351 Bury 0.8 0.9 2.7 3.7 5.6 6.5 8.6 9.2 
			 381 Calderdale 1.4 1.3 3.1 3.2 8.2 61.2 10.6 12.0 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 9.0 9.1 12.0 12.3 23.9 24.9 32.7 44.5 
			 202 Camden 0.4 0.6 1.9 2.4 6.3 6.2 28.2 13.7 
			 875 Cheshire 10.4 8.4 9.8 15.3 27.9 37.7 31.2 41.4 
			 201 City of London 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 5.6 8.7 12.1 
			 908 Cornwall 7.3 8.1 10.9 11.6 81.5 19.0 28.1 99.3 
			 331 Coventry 4.4 7.0 10.2 4.4 9.7 11.9 37.8 16.1 
			 306 Croydon 2.4 2.7 5.6 7.0 11.5 9.0 33.3 17.7 
			 909 Cumbria 6.3 4.9 7.8 10.4 19.7 19.6 28.7 27.5 
			 841 Darlington 0.0 0.7 0.9 2.2 4.0 5.8 6.2 46.6 
			 831 Derby 0.0 2.9 4.4 4.7 8.3 12.1 11.8 55.8 
			 830 Derbyshire 5.2 4.0 13.0 13.9 27.4 54.7 44.6 86.6 
			 878 Devon 14.2 15.9 13.2 16.8 27.3 30.3 53.1 130.1 
			 371 Doncaster 6.4 1.5 2.3 5.1 10.7 11.5 15.8 16.8 
			 835 Dorset 5.1 18.9 8.4 8.7 15.5 15.7 27.5 28.8 
			 332 Dudley 3.0 1.2 36.2 10.7 16.3 41.0 20.2 23.1 
			 840 Durham 3.0 9.2 11.5 12.3 19.8 20.3 31.9 38.3 
			 307 Ealing 0.8 5.2 9.6 7.2 10.3 11.7 53.2 19.1 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 0.5 1.3 5.2 37.0 16.2 13.0 19.2 27.4 
			 845 East Sussex 20.1 16.5 15.1 30.3 18.2 20.2 30.9 32.2 
			 308 Enfield 7.4 8.8 23.2 8.1 10.2 12.3 26.5 75.4 
			 881 Essex 12.2 11.5 15.5 21.9 59.2 51.4 97.4 78.7 
			 390 Gateshead 5.0 2.5 6.2 6.7 11.0 9.9 10.2 24.5 
			 916 Gloucestershire 12.2 7.9 7.0 12.9 26.9 27.2 33.1 34.6 
			 203 Greenwich 1.7 4.4 5.5 4.5 7.3 13.4 13.0 11.5 
			 204 Hackney 1.0 2.4 3.6 4.6 7.1 10.4 10.5 13.6 
			 876 Halton 0.0 0.0 1.7 3.2 4.9 7.0 7.6 8.1 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 1.1 1.4 3.3 3.8 4.2 4.7 6.1 6.1 
			 850 Hampshire 19.7 14.7 22.1 19.2 43.1 43.7 64.2 81.8 
			 309 Haringey 2.7 4.7 7.4 68.8 12.9 18.1 25.7 36.1 
			 310 Harrow 3.6 1.7 2.3 3.9 6.1 5.6 27.3 9.5 
			 805 Hartlepool 0.1 0.6 1.1 2.1 3.6 5.4 4.5 8.4 
			 311 Havering 0.3 1.0 2.1 2.2 7.3 8.3 11.7 14.0 
			 884 Herefordshire 6.0 6.6 4.1 5.4 8.5 6.9 10.2 29.5 
			 919 Hertfordshire 7.1 12.0 14.9 15.2 36.7 32.1 56.7 53.6 
			 312 Hillingdon 3.9 2.8 23.1 6.4 12.7 11.8 29.5 19.8 
			 313 Hounslow 3.1 3.8 4.6 4.0 7.1 6.2 9.7 38.5 
			 921 Isle of Wight 3.1 2.9 3.8 4.6 7.8 6.8 11.0 12.2 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.4 
			 206 Islington 0.3 0.9 2.5 2.8 7.6 6.1 11.3 11.6 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0.6 0.5 1.3 1.0 2.7 3.7 3.3 3.5 
			 886 Kent 26.6 25.3 23.2 21.6 63.0 54.7 85.4 108.0 
			 810 Kingston upon Hull, City of 0.9 5.4 2.6 6.3 9.5 14.9 14.6 12.1 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 1.0 4.1 4.8 7.7 5.9 6.1 9.4 13.7 
			 382 Kirklees 2.8 3.6 4.9 6.8 74.0 14.3 51.5 28.5 
			 340 Knowsley 1.6 2.7 3.7 5.5 7.3 9.4 11.9 8.8 
			 208 Lambeth 0.8 1.7 4.6 23.6 7.7 11.5 9.6 17.7 
			 888 Lancashire 12.9 13.3 19.5 36.8 42.3 42.5 66.3 74.0 
			 383 Leeds 8.7 9.2 10.4 17.3 74.1 26.4 39.2 37.6 
			 856 Leicester 0.0 1.0 4.9 10.8 11.0 12.4 11.6 15.9 
			 855 Leicestershire 3.6 2.9 6.5 9.2 21.0 18.8 30.8 34.3 
			 209 Lewisham 2.8 8.9 6.8 10.4 9.1 9.9 83.6 19.3 
			 925 Lincolnshire 8.1 7.0 6.3 9.7 27.0 42.7 34.2 37.9 
			 341 Liverpool 5.8 15.3 20.2 14.8 113.2 28.5 29.2 39.4 
			 821 Luton 0.0 0.6 1.4 3.4 8.2 6.4 9.0 13.4 
			 352 Manchester 10.9 9.1 13.4 7.4 24.3 27.7 28.1 60.2 
			 887 Medway 0.0 0.0 5.3 5.6 12.1 14.1 18.0 20.0 
			 315 Merton 0.4 0.6 2.0 4.2 5.4 14.6 73.1 9.4 
			 806 Middlesbrough 1.7 2.6 2.4 2.2 4.7 6.0 9.7 11.2 
			 826 Milton Keynes 0.0 10.7 6.6 10.5 10.6 11.0 22.1 31.2 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 1.0 3.0 8.8 9.2 7.9 58.7 13.4 23.9 
			 316 Newham 4.5 3.6 6.8 11.1 13.5 41.0 20.0 56.6 
			 926 Norfolk 4.8 4.9 10.8 12.1 28.3 29.7 138.0 48.1 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 0.3 0.9 3.5 3.5 6.1 5.6 12.4 10.5 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0.4 1.0 2.8 2.4 6.4 11.9 12.8 7.9 
			 802 North Somerset 2.6 4.3 5.1 3.3 7.9 6.9 8.6 19.8 
			 392 North Tyneside 1.4 2.5 3.0 10.9 20.4 24.3 48.2 13.7 
			 815 North Yorkshire 4.0 5.4 8.5 11.3 31.5 22.8 34.8 42.6 
			 928 Northamptonshire 7.5 8.5 15.4 12.3 27.6 28.6 62.1 137.4 
			 929 Northumberland 3.1 2.6 4.7 6.2 15.5 11.4 16.4 17.6 
			 892 Nottingham 0.0 0.0 3.0 4.2 9.2 18.3 20.9 15.2 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 3.9 8.2 10.1 16.4 45.4 32.9 40.6 167.8 
			 353 Oldham 2.0 4.6 7.5 6.9 9.1 10.4 20.3 15.9 
			 931 Oxfordshire 8.7 7.4 11.8 13.8 25.0 30.6 38.9 39.8 
			 874 Peterborough 0.0 0.0 2.3 2.4 10.6 10.1 9.1 14.9 
			 879 Plymouth 0.0 0.0 3.1 5.7 7.9 8.0 14.6 18.8 
			 836 Poole 0.0 1.7 2.8 2.4 3.4 6.9 7.4 7.2 
			 851 Portsmouth 0.0 3.1 16.2 3.5 7.0 7.4 9.0 14.5 
			 870 Reading 0.0 0.0 3.1 1.7 4.7 6.7 10.5 10.8 
			 317 Redbridge 9.9 9.4 5.2 5.0 11.7 29.9 13.7 18.0 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 1.8 0.8 3.5 10.7 4.9 6.8 6.9 61.2 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 0.3 0.6 3.0 4.4 4.2 22.3 5.7 7.2 
			 354 Rochdale 1.0 2.9 5.1 3.2 6.5 9.3 10.7 14.0 
			 372 Rotherham 2.6 2.9 6.6 6.8 12.3 14.6 87.4 20.8 
			 857 Rutland 0.0 0.1 1.3 0.4 1.3 1.2 3.6 1.7 
			 355 Salford 7.0 5.5 5.6 5.5 12.9 32.5 21.1 11.8 
			 333 Sandwell 3.4 5.0 3.4 4.6 27.3 10.7 22.9 20.1 
			 343 Sefton 1.9 1.6 2.4 5.4 10.3 13.8 20.0 18.9 
			 373 Sheffield 5.0 7.5 14.8 69.3 18.3 31.4 34.1 72.2 
			 893 Shropshire 7.1 5.1 7.4 5.1 9.4 12.2 15.7 14.1 
			 871 Slough 0.0 0.0 0.8 2.1 3.6 4.0 7.8 8.6 
			 334 Solihull 3.1 3.6 6.0 5.6 9.2 9.2 17.0 11.4 
			 933 Somerset 3.6 3.8 8.8 9.2 18.1 20.7 24.8 25.0 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 2.6 5.1 8.7 8.7 12.9 12.2 18.2 17.4 
			 393 South Tyneside 1.6 1.5 2.5 3.4 5.7 5.7 10.4 8.0 
			 852 Southampton 0.0 1.0 2.2 5.3 8.3 49.8 11.5 17.6 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 0.0 0.0 2.6 1.4 7.0 7.4 8.5 11.3 
			 210 Southwark 0.6 2.5 2.3 7.6 8.1 9.3 15.8 15.3 
			 342 St. Helens 2.3 1.8 3.9 4.3 7.2 7.3 12.8 8.5 
			 860 Staffordshire 3.7 7.4 28.4 18.5 34.1 33.6 42.7 46.7 
			 356 Stockport 1.6 2.4 5.6 5.7 11.8 13.1 15.4 14.6 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 0.8 1.0 2.4 7.1 8.2 15.5 10.2 14.3 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 0.0 1.4 5.1 98.8 13.1 21.7 24.1 23.3 
			 935 Suffolk 7.9 7.1 10.2 12.4 27.4 26.0 36.2 42.4 
			 394 Sunderland 8.9 7.9 7.0 8.6 14.2 32.4 20.6 18.2 
			 936 Surrey 8.5 11.7 17.0 14.1 33.8 33.8 48.3 56.4 
			 319 Sutton 4.2 5.7 5.5 4.7 9.4 8.3 10.6 13.2 
			 866 Swindon 0.0 1.4 3.0 5.2 6.1 5.2 16.7 81.9 
			 357 Tameside 3.2 3.3 6.0 4.7 30.7 10.7 11.6 13.6 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 0.0 0.0 2.5 6.7 10.3 10.5 13.9 80.1 
			 883 Thurrock 0.0 0.0 2.1 3.4 6.5 6.7 7.3 12.3 
			 880 Torbay 0.0 0.0 2.6 18.2 5.4 7.7 12.5 12.7 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 11.2 8.0 5.9 110.3 7.4 10.1 19.8 19.1 
			 358 Trafford 3.8 5.0 4.4 4.6 9.2 10.1 15.1 16.6 
			 384 Wakefield 13.5 5.2 7.9 7.4 13.4 13.8 17.8 20.3 
			 335 Walsall 0.5 2.2 3.7 11.8 9.3 8.9 13.5 24.3 
			 320 Waltham Forest 2.5 1.8 2.8 23.2 8.1 12.0 70.0 15.3 
			 212 Wandsworth 1.2 0.9 1.9 3.6 8.0 8.7 15.0 13.5 
			 877 Warrington 0.0 0.0 3.7 4.7 8.7 10.0 11.7 10.5 
			 937 Warwickshire 24.1 3.0 6.4 7.3 17.5 16.7 28.3 39.0 
			 869 West Berkshire 6.1 3.8 1.7 5.7 8.6 5.1 8.0 9.4 
			 938 West Sussex 5.3 8.1 10.9 10.0 21.6 22.3 92.4 37.2 
			 213 Westminster 1.2 1.7 2.2 1.6 4.5 4.7 7.3 16.1 
			 359 Wigan 4.5 6.5 10.0 11.5 13.9 11.3 20.2 21.8 
			 865 Wiltshire 4.8 7.6 7.6 7.2 54.2 16.3 28.0 36.8 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 0.0 0.0 2.3 2.3 4.1 3.9 7.1 7.1 
			 344 Wirral 3.3 2.4 5.3 7.2 69.0 11.8 15.2 24.4 
			 872 Wokingham 0.0 0.0 2.7 3.1 7.3 9.1 9.5 10.5 
			 336 Wolverhampton 2.7 1.3 2.5 5.2 8.9 8.1 14.2 14.1 
			 885 Worcestershire 0.0 0.0 9.7 12.6 26.8 20.6 30.9 29.5 
			 816 York 0.8 1.3 1.8 4.5 7.4 5.7 26.9 11.1 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			  LEA  No.  LEA  name  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 9.2 15.2 33.8 17.7 53.7 25.2 27.2 
			 302 Barnet 21.7 18.6 72.1 15.5 26.2 25.1 31.2 
			 370 Barnsley 12.7 9.9 11.7 15.5 16.9 19.1 22.3 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 9.5 6.8 15.5 36.1 7.7 12.6 18.9 
			 820 Bedfordshire 27.1 23.4 24.5 29.3 33.9 37.1 39.0 
			 303 Bexley 19.2 18.3 58.3 20.4 15.4 20.0 26.3 
			 330 Birmingham 74.2 61.9 62.6 75.8 81.1 88.4 90.4 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 7.9 12.6 11.0 9.3 8.6 11.4 13.7 
			 890 Blackpool 16.4 13.0 9.3 6.3 6.6 9.4 11.6 
			 350 Bolton 17.8 14.3 27.9 17.8 15.5 21.0 27.2 
			 837 Bournemouth 7.6 7.0 6.2 5.2 5.8 8.8 11.1 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 5.2 5.4 4.6 39.5 6.2 11.3 17.6 
			 380 Bradford 32.3 36.1 23.6 25.3 47.6 45.0 47.1 
			 304 Brent 16.8 13.1 22.1 20.6 16.3 22.0 28.2 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 19.0 11.0 10.2 11.1 12.0 17.3 23.6 
			 801 Bristol, City of 17.5 21.5 27.2 32.1 61.9 47.2 49.3 
			 305 Bromley 21.7 21.6 19.9 58.1 12.8 18.1 24.3 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 33.9 28.7 24.1 58.7 19.4 29.4 35.3 
			 351 Bury 13.0 8.0 19.3 8.5 8.9 13.5 19.7 
			 381 Calderdale 19.4 16.6 16.7 17.7 18.9 23.8 30.1 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 39.8 32.4 33.2 29.1 40.1 30.2 32.4 
			 202 Camden 10.6 14.7 11.3 11.7 11.6 14.8 17.1 
			 875 Cheshire 40.7 37.8 31.0 37.9 32.8 40.8 46.5 
			 201 City of London 16.9 15.4 39.1 25.5 16.8 16.5 16.6 
			 908 Cornwall 33.3 18.6 45.5 22.6 32.0 31.1 36.9 
			 331 Coventry 18.7 17.5 23.6 21.1 21.7 25.3 27.5 
			 306 Croydon 15.9 15.6 19.5 15.9 17.4 24.3 30.6 
			 909 Cumbria 31.5 28.3 25.0 26.6 30.0 37.0 42.3 
			 841 Darlington 6.3 6.0 30.1 10.2 16.3 14.4 20.7 
			 831 Derby 17.5 19.3 28.5 33.0 18.1 20.9 23.1 
			 830 Derbyshire 55.5 49.0 54.9 52.1 44.9 50.4 52.2 
			 878 Devon 65.4 34.7 128.8 66.3 51.5 58.3 63.9 
			 371 Doncaster 59.9 23.3 13.8 16.5 16.7 24.4 26.5 
			 835 Dorset 23.7 24.1 100.2 23.6 21.1 25.7 31.7 
			 332 Dudley 26.6 24.3 29.1 21.8 19.7 21.7 28.0 
			 840 Durham 32.3 34.0 34.1 33.5 33.3 31.8 33.8 
			 307 Ealing 83.6 20.6 27.9 23.4 34.4 32.6 35.0 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 30.0 25.9 32.1 24.2 19.8 24.4 30.4 
			 845 East Sussex 32.7 27.2 26.4 62.8 25.2 31.4 37.4 
			 308 Enfield 27.1 22.6 39.3 19.9 24.1 31.1 37.4 
			 881 Essex 83.4 79.5 64.2 74.6 86.5 90.2 91.4 
			 390 Gateshead 9.2 68.4 7.9 27.1 18.6 19.1 21.3 
			 916 Gloucestershire 44.7 34.6 99.9 42.7 35.9 42.4 48.2 
			 203 Greenwich 15.1 15.5 29.0 37.5 17.0 21.6 24.7 
			 204 Hackney 15.2 10.6 11.8 18.2 15.3 19.7 21.9 
			 876 Halton 6.5 7.2 11.5 7.4 6.2 8.9 11.2 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 12.2 6.2 12.6 8.1 6.3 9.4 11.7 
			 850 Hampshire 77.1 67.3 64.9 74.3 65.6 66.3 69.7 
			 309 Haringey 33.1 39.6 32.9 40.1 25.4 29.9 32.4 
			 310 Harrow 9.0 10.7 20.5 43.7 12.5 17.9 24.1 
			 805 Hartlepool 4.6 4.2 4.2 4.7 5.0 7.6 9.9 
			 311 Havering 13.7 10.8 15.2 12.9 10.1 14.9 21.1 
			 884 Herefordshire 11.1 11.9 11.0 33.4 11.5 16.1 22.3 
			 919 Hertfordshire 74.3 78.2 75.7 65.9 65.2 67.8 67.0 
			 312 Hillingdon 23.7 18.0 36.7 24.0 20.7 27.2 28.4 
			 313 Hounslow 11.7 10.7 12.0 12.1 13.4 18.4 24.6 
			 921 Isle of Wight 13.3 8.9 15.6 48.2 6.6 11.6 17.9 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0.4 0.3 0.2 9.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 206 Islington 12.9 8.8 7.1 18.3 21.8 13.1 15.4 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 4.8 5.2 9.4 6.8 4.2 7.0 9.3 
			 886 Kent 199.9 111.3 96.6 142.6 90.0 90.6 91.9 
			 810 Kingston upon Hull, City of 12.2 9.9 30.6 8.6 10.4 13.3 16.2 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 18.3 9.6 44.9 12.5 8.2 12.9 19.2 
			 382 Kirklees 33.4 28.8 32.8 32.8 34.9 39.5 41.7 
			 340 Knowsley 8.7 10.3 12.2 45.1 96.3 61.8 25.8 
			 208 Lambeth 27.0 19.9 32.1 55.1 48.8 22.7 24.7 
			 888 Lancashire 61.1 56.8 62.5 72.0 100.9 94.1 91.4 
			 383 Leeds 77.5 150.2 37.9 81.4 101.8 76.8 79.9 
			 856 Leicester 23.6 29.7 21.2 71.8 28.4 24.8 28.5 
			 855 Leicestershire 41.2 44.0 69.0 32.6 31.1 38.1 42.4 
			 209 Lewisham 22.8 19.1 25.6 47.8 62.4 43.8 38.6 
			 925 Lincolnshire 46.7 44.0 50.0 45.5 38.8 44.1 49.6 
			 341 Liverpool 38.8 33.4 32.7 42.6 39.9 42.6 44.7 
			 821 Luton 12.3 8.6 11.0 7.0 14.0 17.7 20.9 
			 352 Manchester 30.2 20.6 60.3 128.5 77.6 43.2 43.5 
			 887 Medway 24.9 22.3 14.0 17.5 14.4 19.1 25.3 
			 315 Merton 13.4 14.8 23.5 18.0 17.5 22.6 29.3 
			 806 Middlesbrough 8.6 7.7 5.2 6.1 7.2 9.8 12.1 
			 826 Milton Keynes 41.8 33.8 53.3 46.7 49.4 24.7 30.9 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 79.7 20.6 21.7 90.1 82.0 38.4 36.7 
			 316 Newham 23.3 31.2 17.8 19.3 31.8 30.8 34.2 
			 926 Norfolk 119.8 47.9 81.6 77.0 51.7 54.9 60.3 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 9.5 8.0 20.2 8.7 8.1 10.6 12.8 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 12.6 8.0 7.1 6.3 6.9 9.7 12.9 
			 802 North Somerset 29.3 19.3 8.9 44.5 8.3 13.1 19.3 
			 392 North Tyneside 12.0 11.7 23.5 11.8 19.3 17.9 24.2 
			 815 North Yorkshire 38.6 35.5 94.4 31.9 35.2 42.6 48.2 
			 928 Northamptonshire 46.3 40.9 58.1 181.0 75.4 72.1 78.2 
			 929 Northumberland 21.1 17.4 16.2 24.2 16.6 21.4 27.5 
			 892 Nottingham 20.6 13.8 15.2 13.1 18.9 16.1 18.3 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 42.7 38.7 38.3 49.7 54.3 60.6 62.3 
			 353 Oldham 74.2 17.2 13.2 45.4 21.6 24.0 25.9 
			 931 Oxfordshire 45.1 48.5 30.5 35.2 30.0 37.5 43.9 
			 874 Peterborough 70.9 18.8 30.5 32.5 17.3 22.6 27.9 
			 879 Plymouth 59.5 13.6 21.5 81.2 22.8 22.6 28.3 
			 836 Poole 6.3 5.0 18.8 6.9 5.4 8.4 10.7 
			 851 Portsmouth 11.0 12.9 8.7 9.0 9.7 12.7 15.0 
			 870 Reading 6.5 8.0 10.7 7.0 8.6 13.1 18.4 
			 317 Redbridge 21.6 26.2 20.7 63.9 18.5 24.3 30.5 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 7.6 7.0 22.5 15.9 14.2 16.8 19.1 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 10.1 15.8 69.9 20.1 18.4 14.5 20.8 
			 354 Rochdale 71.8 10.0 10.7 55.2 23.3 21.2 23.6 
			 372 Rotherham 14.4 15.7 22.6 24.9 31.4 30.1 36.4 
			 857 Rutland 2.3 2.6 6.2 20.9 1.8 6.8 13.2 
			 355 Salford 60.6 14.8 16.3 37.2 23.3 21.8 24.0 
			 333 Sandwell 20.5 19.9 21.4 17.5 16.6 21.2 23.5 
			 343 Sefton 15.4 16.7 21.3 40.4 13.5 18.0 24.2 
			 373 Sheffield 104.8 42.6 43.8 96.8 87.9 54.4 56.8 
			 893 Shropshire 14.7 18.8 14.5 35.9 13.7 18.8 25.1 
			 871 Slough 53.5 5.9 26.2 11.8 13.0 18.0 24.4 
			 334 Solihull 12.4 17.3 9.0 50.4 56.1 27.9 23.5 
			 933 Somerset 28.5 56.5 32.1 30.7 31.7 28.5 30.0 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 22.3 13.0 15.3 45.4 15.7 19.4 25.5 
			 393 South Tyneside 23.8 13.4 6.5 11.7 30.1 20.6 17.6 
			 852 Southampton 14.2 18.3 16.0 14.1 14.3 19.6 26.0 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 15.6 9.7 11.8 42.0 11.7 12.6 18.9 
			 210 Southwark 14.6 15.4 35.0 23.0 12.8 17.8 20.1 
			 342 St. Helens 8.8 8.0 19.9 9.9 8.1 10.8 13.0 
			 860 Staffordshire 53.3 42.9 47.4 45.1 40.4 48.2 53.8 
			 356 Stockport 13.7 14.8 12.3 13.0 13.1 17.2 23.4 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 15.6 11.7 13.8 11.0 12.1 14.3 16.6 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 28.8 22.6 33.7 31.8 25.9 26.8 30.5 
			 935 Suffolk 53.7 41.7 38.8 36.4 36.7 42.0 43.7 
			 394 Sunderland 16.6 21.5 21.6 24.3 71.1 18.6 20.9 
			 936 Surrey 57.5 60.1 48.4 44.5 50.4 58.9 64.5 
			 319 Sutton 10.5 10.1 13.1 48.0 8.8 13.4 19.7 
			 866 Swindon 14.2 10.9 13.4 24.2 30.4 29.4 36.0 
			 357 Tameside 16.9 16.9 15.4 13.5 12.7 15.8 18.1 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 15.6 10.0 19.1 19.3 17.1 19.7 22.1 
			 883 Thurrock 14.9 11.6 23.4 19.0 5.9 11.0 17.6 
			 880 Torbay 13.9 11.5 56.9 13.0 15.5 13.6 19.3 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 21.4 22.5 30.2 31.4 30.7 36.1 39.5 
			 358 Trafford 16.1 11.0 12.3 35.4 10.8 15.6 21.8 
			 384 Wakefield 19.4 21.2 25.7 15.7 14.6 20.6 26.8 
			 335 Walsall 22.7 18.5 27.2 16.0 16.4 22.1 28.4 
			 320 Waltham Forest 15.8 20.6 25.7 38.5 37.7 31.1 33.6 
			 212 Wandsworth 12.4 12.6 23.9 18.6 11.9 14.7 16.0 
			 877 Warrington 10.3 12.2 36.5 10.4 9.2 14.1 20.3 
			 937 Warwickshire 32.0 26.5 36.6 25.7 26.1 31.6 37.5 
			 869 West Berkshire 10.2 8.9 20.1 41.6 8.3 13.3 19.5 
			 938 West Sussex 43.8 49.5 52.0 83.6 48.3 44.0 49.7 
			 213 Westminster 11.5 9.2 11.6 17.8 35.9 9.1 11.9 
			 359 Wigan 21.2 14.0 25.8 36.9 21.0 19.8 26.0 
			 865 Wiltshire 32.3 24.5 76.5 27.1 30.8 36.2 41.9 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 7.0 6.2 6.2 32.4 7.7 12.6 18.9 
			 344 Wirral 25.9 25.6 29.9 53.0 23.9 30.1 36.5 
			 872 Wokingham 13.8 7.5 18.8 37.4 8.8 13.7 20.0 
			 336 Wolverhampton 18.6 12.6 28.3 16.1 12.9 15.0 17.2 
			 885 Worcestershire 95.7 27.2 24.5 65.7 37.1 40.2 46.2 
			 816 York 11.3 11.1 31.3 39.8 9.0 13.8 20.1 
			  Note: The figures shown are allocation figures, i.e. commitments. These will differ in any year from actual spend by the Department. Allocations for the current years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are subject to adjustment, including upward revision as further allocations are made.

Schools: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to increase the energy efficiency of the schools estate, with particular reference to schools constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many biomass boilers  (a) have been and  (b) are planned to be installed in new schools following calculation of such schools' carbon dioxide emissions using the Government's carbon calculator.

Jim Knight: In December 2007 we announced an ambition for all new school buildings, including all new schools within Building Schools for the Future, to be zero carbon by 2016. A task force has been appointed to advise on how to achieve this ambition. The task force will develop a strategy for moving the school system to zero carbon, setting targets and milestones to 2016. It will also scope the potential to reduce carbon emissions during school refurbishment projects.
	It is already a requirement that newly constructed schools must meet a carbon emissions reduction of 60 per cent. relative to the energy efficiency standards in 2002 building regulations. My Department has provided additional funding for more than 200 schools in Building Schools for the Future and the academies programme to fund the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites to enable this requirement to be met.
	The carbon calculator was developed to allow users to compare the likely effectiveness of various energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions, and to demonstrate how they would achieve the 60 per cent. reduction. We have received completed carbon calculators for 53 school projects which are currently in design. Of these designs, 46 propose to include biomass boilers, two propose to include biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant, and one proposes a combination of biomass and ground source heat pump. There may be more schools with plans to include biomass boilers; we do not impose a requirement on schools that they report such plans to us.

Schools: Energy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his assessment is of levels of energy efficiency in school buildings constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and what measures he has put in place to evaluate the energy efficiency of new school buildings proposed under the programme.

Jim Knight: The Department requires that newly constructed schools, including those within Building Schools for the Future, meet a carbon emissions reduction of 60 per cent. relative to the energy efficiency standards in 2002 building regulations. Additional funding has been provided for more than 200 schools in Building Schools for the Future and the Academies programme to fund the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites to enable this requirement to be met. We have developed a 'carbon calculator'a software toolwhich allows users to compare the likely effectiveness of various energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions, and to demonstrate how they would achieve the 60 per cent. reduction. We have received completed carbon calculators for 53 school projects which are currently in design(1).
	Partnerships for Schools monitors the compliance of the carbon ratings of school designs with Government targets and in PFI schools ensures that the payment mechanism during the contract period (normally 25 years) reflects the DCSF policy on energy use. A low carbon rating may be due to energy efficient design or the employment of low and zero carbon fuels, including renewables.
	(1) www.teachernet.gov.uk/carbontargets

Schools: Parents

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of variations in the quality and level of parental involvement in education according to  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) income.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned research to examine the level of parental involvement in children's education. This includes a national survey of parents and carers conducted in 2008 which examined variation in parental engagement in learning and education by gender, ethnicity and income. The quality of parental involvement was examined at a broad level, in terms of frequency of help with homework, attendance at parents' evenings and discussions about educational options.
	The Department also undertook research in 2007 which examined the variation in parental involvement in their children's education according to gender and ethnicity. The quality of parental involvement was not examined in this research; however it did investigate the types of activities that parents were involved in and their confidence in helping their child with homework.
	The finding of this research are informing the Department's new approach to supporting parental engagement and is outlined in the Children's Plan: One Year On report published in December 2008.

Schools: Parents

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has evaluated on the relationship between parental choice and achievement; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has evaluated the following research on the links between choice, diversity and standards:
	Simon Burgess, Carol Propper and Deborah Wilson (2007): The Impact of School Choice in England, Policy Studies, vol. 28, No. 2, 2007
	Peterson, P., Howell, W., Wolf, P. and Campbell, D. (2003) School vouchers: results from randomised experiments, The Economics of School Choice , ed. C. Hoxby, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
	Hoxby, C. (2003c) School choice and school productivity: could school choice be a tide that lifts all boats?, The Economics of School Choice, ed. C. Hoxby, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press
	Sandstrom, F. and Bergstrom, F. (2002) School Vouchers in PracticeCompetition Won't Hurt You, IUI Working Paper Series 578, The Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm.
	Ladd, H and Fiske, E (2001) The uneven playing field of school choice: evidence from New Zealand, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, vol. 20, No.1, pp. 43-64
	Cullen, J; Jacob, B; Levitt, S. (2000) The Impact of School Choice on Student Outcomes: An Analysis of the Chicago Public School, NBER Working Paper 7888, Cambridge
	There is no clear evidence that school choice directly affects pupil progress. However, evidence suggests that schools respond positively to competition by raising their standards.

Schools: Repairs and Maintenance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made toward its targets of  (a) the provision of funding for every local authority to renew at least the school in greatest need by 2011 and  (b) major rebuilding and remodelling projects in at least three schools to be started in every local authority by 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has  (a) allocated resources to all local authorities to renew at least one secondary school through its Building Schools for the Future programme, academies programme and One School Pathfinder programme; we are  (b) looking to bring every local authority into the Building Schools for the Future programme, with at least a priority 3-5 school opening project, as soon as is practicable.

Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained secondary schools offer courses for  (a) pre-U qualifications and  (b) the international baccalaureate.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 80-81W.

Special Educational Needs

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average standard assessment test scores achieved by special educational needs pupils taught in mainstream schools were in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data for the last 10 years can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the levels obtained in key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests by pupils with special education needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in 2007 can be found in the following tables. These figures are based on final KS2 and KS3 data.
	Similar information for all pupils with SEN (i.e. including those at maintained special schools as well as mainstream schools) for 2007 can be found in SFR38/2007, at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml
	The KS2 and KS3 figures in this published SFR were based on provisional data.
	
		
			  Key stage 3 test results by each level( 1)  in 2007( 2) , by special education needs (mainstream schools only) 
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in English 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  3  4  5  6  7 
			 No identified SEN 457,685 2 0 1 1 1 9 45 30 10 
			 SEN without a statement 101,669 7 0 8 11 8 28 32 5 1 
			 School action 70,282 5 0 6 9 7 30 36 6 1 
			 School action + 31,387 11 0 12 15 8 25 24 4 1 
			
			 SEN with a statement 13,386 9 1 27 16 7 19 17 4 1 
			
			 Unclassified (3) 4,219 6 1 6 7 4 15 38 18 5 
			
			 All pupils 576,959 3 0 3 3 2 13 42 25 8 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in mathematics 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 
			 No identified SEN 458,141 2 0 0 0 0 2 10 20 31 25 10 
			  
			 SEN without a statement 101,639 6 0 0 2 1 18 30 22 15 5 1 
			 School action 70,264 4 0 0 1 1 17 31 24 16 6 1 
			 School action + 31,375 9 0 1 2 2 23 27 18 12 5 1 
			  
			 SEN with a statement 13,345 8 0 5 6 4 28 23 13 9 4 1 
			  
			 Unclassified(3) 4,276 4 0 1 3 0 8 19 20 24 14 7 
			  
			 All pupils 577,401 3 0 0 1 0 6 14 20 28 21 8 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in science 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5  6  7 
			 No identified SEN 458,387 2 0 0 1 0 2 13 34 30 19 
			 
			 SEN without a statement 101,926 6 0 0 2 1 14 36 28 9 3 
			 School action 70,433 4 0 0 2 1 13 37 30 10 3 
			 School action + 31,493 10 0 1 3 2 17 33 23 8 2 
			 
			 SEN with a statement 13,426 7 0 4 5 3 20 30 20 8 2 
			 
			 Unclassified(3) 4,276 4 1 1 3 1 9 22 28 19 11 
			 
			 All pupils 578,015 3 0 0 1 0 4 17 33 26 15 
			 (1)( )Includes Tunable to access test; Bnot entered for test; Nfailed to register a level; (2 )Final data. (3 )Includes information refused or not obtain 
		
	
	
		
			  Key stage 2 test results by each level( 1)  in 2007( 2) , by special education needs (mainstream schools only) 
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in English 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 No identified SEN 432,655 0 0 1 0 0 7 50 42 
			   
			 SEN without a statement 118,180 1 0 8 4 2 39 41 5 
			 School action 78,288 1 0 4 2 2 39 47 5 
			 School action + 39,892 2 0 16 6 3 39 29 5 
			   
			 SEN with a statement 12,224 2 1 43 5 2 21 21 5 
			   
			 Unclassified(3) 2,336 2 4 16 2 1 18 39 19 
			   
			 All pupils 565,395 1 0 3 1 1 14 48 33 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in mathematics 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 No identified SEN 432,769 1 0 0 0 0 11 48 40 
			   
			 SEN without a statement 118,219 1 0 6 6 3 37 39 7 
			 School action 78,320 1 0 3 5 3 38 42 8 
			 School action + 39,899 2 0 12 9 3 36 32 7 
			   
			 SEN with a statement 12,230 2 0 36 8 3 24 21 6 
			   
			 Unclassified (3) 2,333 2 4 12 3 2 22 40 16 
			   
			 All pupils 565,551 1 0 2 2 1 17 45 32 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils achieving each level in science 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 No identified SEN 432,781 0 0 0 0 0 4 39 55 
			   
			 SEN without a statement 118,232 1 0 3 2 1 24 51 18 
			 School action 78,322 1 0 1 1 1 23 55 18 
			 School action + 39,910 2 0 6 3 2 27 45 17 
			   
			 SEN with a statement 12,235 2 0 24 4 2 23 33 13 
			   
			 Unclassified(3) 2,333 2 4 11 2 1 17 38 26 
			   
			 All pupils 565,581 1 0 1 0 0 9 42 46 
			 (1) Includes Tunable to access test; Bnot entered for test; Nfailed to register a level; (2 )Final data (3) Includes information refused or not obtained

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average administrative cost was of issuing a statement of special educational needs in each local authority in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This information is not collected centrally.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs were given free transport to school in each of the last 10 years broken down by local authority.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not collect information on the provision of free transport to children with special educational needs.

Teachers: Training

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent under the Assessment for Learning programme for teacher training.

Jim Knight: From 2008-11, 50 million per year is being allocated to schools via local authorities through the Standards Fund for teachers' professional development in Assessment for Learning.
	Information on expenditure is not collected centrally.

Truancy: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many days of truancy there were in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in the London Borough of Hillingdon in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not maintain records of truancy. Information is collected on unauthorised absence.
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
	The latest available published information on absence is published as SFR30/2008
	'Pupil Absence in Schools in England: Autumn Term 2007 and Spring Term 2008' at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/sQ00817/index.shtml

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged  (a) 18,  (b) 17,  (c) 16,  (d) 15,  (e) 14,  (f) 13 and  (g) 12 years who had had an abortion in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007 had had (A) one, (B) two, (C) three, (D) four and (E) five or more previous abortions.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of repeat abortions by age under 18, residents, England and Wales 
			   12  13  14  15  16  17  18 
			  2006
			 1   17 110  870 1,486 
			 2  54 154 
			 3
			 4 or more
			 
			  2007
			 195 374 890 1,650 
			 2  57 131 
			 3
			 4 or more
			 (1 )Due to previously released data, figures for 16 year olds in 2006 have been suppressed. Revealing the figure for 16 year olds will result in inadvertently disclosing small numbers for the younger ages.  Note : = suppressed value less than 10 (between 0-9) or where a presented figure would reveal a suppressed value. This is in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the release of abortion statistics (2005)

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people undergoing NHS alcohol treatment courses in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire (i) have and (ii) have not completed the treatment successfully in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: On 1 April 2008, a National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System (NATMS) begun operation to collect and report local and national information on the provision of structured care-planned treatment for alcohol misuse in England. Prior to 1 April 2008 there was no routine collection of data on numbers receiving alcohol treatment in England.
	The first year's data will be reported in October 2009 and will include data on the number of individuals who have completed their treatment.
	Limited NATMS data are reported on the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System website, at:
	www.ndtms.net/alcohol.aspx

Ambulance Services

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 on the shift patterns used by ambulance services in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England and Wales.

Ben Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made.

Ambulance Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 219W, if he will provide the correct web link for his Department's statistical bulletin Ambulance Services, England 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The annual statistical bulletin Ambulance Services, England 2007-08, has already been placed in the Library and is available at the following link:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2007-08
	I regret the error in my pervious reply to the right hon. Member.

Autism

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  by what means his Department plans to ensure that the evaluation of the individual budgets' pilots will capture people with specific conditions; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how people with autism were classified in the recent individual budget pilots;
	(3)  whether data from the recent individual budgets pilots can be used to determine the effect of individual budgets on people with  (a) autism and  (b) sensory impairments.

Phil Hope: The independent individual budget evaluation was not designed to examine the outcomes for specific groups of service users, but for broad categories of people: older people, people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities and people with mental health problems. It was a randomised controlled trial, in which all those people potentially eligible for individual budgets within each pilot site were allocated at random to an individual budget or a comparison group. Sites varied in the groups of service users for whom they intended to pilot individual budgets.
	The final report of the independent individual budget was published on 21 October 2008 and can be obtained via the Department's website. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The evaluation team was highly dependent on local authorities collecting the data and they allocated study participants to the broad user groups. These allocations to user groups would have reflected convention and practice within specific local authority teams. While some people with autism and sensory impairments are likely to have been included within the sample , it is not possible to identify people with specific conditions from the information the evaluation team collected.

Blood: Donors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the planned target for blood donation was in each year since 1992; how many units of blood were collected in each year; and what percentage of demand the National Blood Service met in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available for the entire time period requested. Figures for blood collection against planned targets and percentage of demand met for red blood cells is only available from the financial year 2000-01, as information was not collated centrally prior to this date.
	
		
			  Blood donation targets and the actual amount of blood donated 
			  Thousand 
			   Donations target  Donations actual 
			 1999-2000 (1) 2,431 
			 2000-01 2,451 2,358 
			 2001-02 2,450 2,380 
			 2002-03 2,325 2,332 
			 2003-04 2,275 2,296 
			 2004-05 2,175 2,155 
			 2005-06 2,053 2,039 
			 2006-07 2,018 1,971 
			 2007-08 1,920 1,927 
		
	
	Data on the percentage of demand for red blood cells met by the National Blood Service are only available from 2000-01, as figures were not collated centrally prior to this date. Data for platelet demand met are only available from 2005-06.
	
		
			  Percentage demand met for red cells and platelets requested 
			   Red cells issued as percentage of red cells requested  Platelets issued as percentage of platelets requested 
			 2000-01 99.96 (1) 
			 2001-02 99.95 (1) 
			 2002-03 99.98 (1) 
			 2003-04 99.98 (1) 
			 2004-05 99.99 (1) 
			 2005-06 99.98 99.66 
			 2006-07 99.98 99.79 
			 2007-08 99.97 99.86 
			 (1) Figure unavailable.  Source: The National Blood Service.

Brain Cancer

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the trends in numbers of cases of cancer metastases to the brain treated by the NHS over the last 20 years.

Ann Keen: These data are not collected centrally.

Cannabis: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to Cumbrian health services of addiction to and dependency on cannabis in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Chlamydia: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care trusts are taking part fully in the national screening programme for chlamydia; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: All primary care trusts are participating and reporting data to the Health Protection Agency for the national chlamydia screening programme.

Contraception

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on meeting the new targets for the provision of information on contraception in the Quality and Outcomes framework.

Ben Bradshaw: Three new contraception indicators were agreed as part of the new general practitioners contract arrangements that will operate from 2009-10 negotiations. Practices will begin to work towards achievement of the new contraception indicator in the Quality and Outcomes Framework from 1 April 2009. Achievement data will be published in September 2010 by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many freedom of information officers are employed on  (a) a full-time and  (b) a part-time basis by his Department, its agencies, health authorities and trusts; and what recent estimate he has made of the overall annual cost of their employment.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of staff employed to deal with requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act on a full-time and a part-time basis by the Department, its agencies, and the overall estimated annual cost of their employment are set out in the following table.
	The estimated overall annual cost of their employment is 360,000, based on the mid-range of salary per member of staff.
	In addition, the Department and its agencies call on legal support as required.
	Information for health authorities and trusts is not routinely collected. The cost of gathering such information would be disproportionate.
	
		
			  Staff employed to deal with requests under Freedom of Information Act: Department of Health (including. Connecting for Health), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency 
			  Number of staff  Department of Health (including CfH)  MHRA  NHS PASA  Total WTE 
			 Full-time 8.3 0.65 0.13 9.78 
			 Part-time 2.28 nil nil 2 
			 Total WTE 10.58 0.65 0.13 11.78 
			  Notes: 1. CFH: Connecting for Health 2. Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency 3. NHS PASA: NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency 4. WTE: Whole Time Equivalent 5. Estimates from proportions of staff time dedicated to FOI work 6. p/t staff includes one agency staff

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 1092-94W, on departmental ICT, what his most recent estimate of the  (a) cost and  (b) completion date is for each of the projects referred to; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The projects listed under the original parliamentary question were those over 100,000 currently being undertaken by the Department, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA). The current expected completion date and estimated cost details, as at 28 January 2009, are as follows:
	
		
			  Name of organisation  Name of project  Estimated delivery date of project  Estimated cost of project (000) 
			 Department of Health Ref Costs 2008 January 2009 1,204 
			 Department of Health MEDS Improvements August 2009 240 
			 Department of Health MEDBEN October 2008 (complete) 1,093 
			 Department of Health Learning Management System May 2009 684 
			 Department of Health Contact June 2009 646 
			 Department of Health ACCEA July 2009 1,203 
			 Department of Health CAS October 2008 (complete) 572 
			 Department of Health Delphi 2 February 2009 1,955 
			 Department of Health Business Intelligence Implementation February 2009 967 
			 Department of Health Enterprise Architecture Programme March 2009 250 
			 Department of Health Health Protection Informatics Website(1) n/a 485 
			 Department of Health Quickr (Quickplace Upgrade) April 2009 188 
			 Department of Health Centralised Security Monitoring April 2009 171 
			 Department of Health Citrix Upgrade April 2009 163 
			 Department of Health WAN Upgrade April 2009 411 
			 MHRA Sentinel Server Upgrade January 2009 3,500 
			 MHRA Sentinel Component software development June 2009 1,600 
			 MHRA Eudra GMP Linkage January 2009 400 
			 PASA Pharmacy Replacement March 2009 281 
			 (1) The HPI is an IT programme, rather than a single project. It has been set up to provide information and data services to enable the DH to manage the national immunisation programme. It also provides tools to facilitate the management of surveillance information as part of the DH Pandemic preparedness measures. The programme was initially established in 2004 to collect Flu Update data from GPs with a budget of 485,000. The programme has expanded since that point, providing national immunisation data related to a number of vaccinations including Influenza, Pneumococcal and HPV, as well as surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness initiatives. Further development and support of the application will be ongoing, to reflect the evolving Immunisation and Panflu preparedness programmes. The website is being produced and maintained as part of this programme. It does not have a given date. 
		
	
	The IT projects undertaken by Connecting for Health are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Name of organisation  Name of project  Current estimated delivery date of project  Total estimated cost of project ( billion) 
			 Connecting for Health National Programme for IT (NPfIT) (1) (2)12.656 
			 (1) NPfIT comprises a number of separate systems and services for which, as a whole, there is no single completion date. (2) At 2004-05 prices, including local costs, as reported by the National Audit Office in its May 2008 report on NPfIT.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, on the departmental internet, if he will list the websites operated by his Department in addition to its two main websites.

Ben Bradshaw: In addition to its two main websites:
	www.dh.gov.uk
	and
	www.nhs.uk
	the Department of Health operates 91 websites, as at 26 January 2009. The following table lists these sites.
	Under rules set out by the transformational government agenda, these 91 websites will be closed by March 2011, as their content is being migrated to the Department's two main websites, to Directgov
	www.direct.gov.uk
	or to Business Link
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	as appropriate.
	
		
			  Annex A: Websites operated by the Department of Health as at January 26 2009 (in addition to www.dh.gov.uk and www.nhs.uk) 
			  Website  URL 
			 18 Weeks www.18weeks.nhs.uk 
			 Activity DataBase www.adb.dh.gov.uk 
			 Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee www.arsac.org.uk 
			 Advisory Bodies www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk 
			 Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/accea 
			 Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/acdp/index.htm 
			 Advisory Group on Hepatitis (AGH) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/agh/index.htm 
			 Asthma Management www.asthmar-d.org.uk 
			 Breast Feeding www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk 
			 British Pharmacopoeia Commission (BCP) www.pharmacopoeia.org.uk 
			 Bug Investigators www.buginvestigators.co.uk 
			 childcare co-ordinators database www.e.doh.gov.uk/childcarecoordinators/search.asp 
			 Clean safe care www.clean-safe-care.nhs.uk 
			 Clinical Trials Toolkit www.ct-toolkit.ac.uk 
			 Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) www.csci.org.uk 
			 Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/coc/index.htm 
			 Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment www.comare.org.uk 
			 Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/com/index.htm 
			 Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/ 
			 Condom Essential Wear www.condomessentialwear.co.uk 
			 Cosmetic Surgery Steering Group www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/cosmeticsurgery/ 
			 CSIP www.csip.org.uk 
			 Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk 
			 DoH Thesaurus www.multites.com/dhthesaurus 
			 Drugs Misuse Research Initiative www.mdx.ac.uk/www/drugsrmisuse/ 
			 East of England Research and Development Sub Unit www.east-of-england-rdsu.org.uk 
			 End of life care www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk 
			 Ethics Research Information Catalogue www.eric-on-line.co.uk/ 
			 European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) www.new-ehic.org.uk 
			 Expert Advisory Group on Aids (EAGA) www.advisorvbodies.doh.gov.uk/eaga/index.htm 
			 Expert patient www.expertpatients.nhs.uk 
			 Finance Manual www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/finman.nsf 
			 Five a day www.5aday.nhs.uk 
			 Forensic Mental Health www.nfmhp.org.uk/index.htm 
			 Health Technology Assessment Programme www.ncchta.org 
			 Health Technology Portal www.healthtechnologyportal.org.uk 
			 Healthcare Commission (Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection) www.healthcarecommission.org.uk 
			 Healthy Start www.healthystart.nhs.uk 
			 Healthy Start www.hsru.co.uk 
			 Human Genetics Commission (HGC) www.hgc.gov.uk 
			 Immunisation www.immunisation.nhs.uk 
			 Immunisation Group Web Programme (IGWP) www.info.doh.gov.uk/Cvts/VTSPCW.nsf 
			 Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) www.irpanel.org.uk 
			 Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts www.regulator-nhsft.gov.uk 
			 Information and Communication Technology Research Initiative www.disco.port.ac.uk/ictri 
			 Information Asset Register www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/iar.nsf?open 
			 Involve www.invo.org.uk 
			 Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/ 
			 Knowledge and Information Portal www.estatesknowledge.dh.gov.uk 
			 London Health Strategy www.londonshealth.gov.uk 
			 Mosaic www.mosaic.nhs.uk 
			 National Biological Standards Board (NBSB) www.nibsc.ac.uk 
			 National Care Standards Commission www.carestandards.gov.uk 
			 National Leadership Network www.nationalleadershipnetwork.org 
			 NatPaCT www.natpact.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Direct www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Factsheets www.info.doh.gov.uk/nhsfactsheets.nsf 
			 NHS Identity www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Photo Library www.photolibrary.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Plus www.nhsplus.nhs.uk 
			 On Design www.design.dh.gov.uk 
			 Patient Information Advisory Group www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/PIAG 
			 Performance Data www.performance.doh.gov.uk 
			 Policy Research Programme www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/rd2policy.nsf 
			 ProCure21 www.nhs-procure21.gov.uk 
			 Purchasing and Supply Agency www.pasa.nhs.uk 
			 Putting Action On Health Inequalities Into Practice www.info.doh.gov.uk/publichealth/hidis.nsf 
			 RD Info www.rdinfo.org.uk 
			 RD Learning www.rdlearning.org.uk 
			 RDDirect www.rddirect.org.uk 
			 Research and Development Sub Unit www.rdsu.org.uk 
			 Royal Commission Elderly www.royal-commission-elderly.gov.uk 
			 Safety Alert Broadcast System www.info.doh.gov.uk/sar/cmopatie.nsf 
			 Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/scoth/index.htm 
			 Sector 64 Grants www.info.doh.gov.uk/Sect64/S64users.nsf 
			 Senior Dental Leadership Team Website www.info.doh.gov.uk/nhs/cdoweb.nsf/Main?OpenFrameset 
			 Sexual Health Professionals www.sexualhealthprofessional.org.uk 
			 Shape www.shape.dh.gov.uk 
			 Smoke Free England www.smokefreeengland.co.uk 
			 Social Work and Care www.socialworkandcare.co.uk 
			 Social Work Careers www.socialworkcareers.co.uk 
			 Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (SACAR) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/sacar/index.htm 
			 Standing Dental Advisory Committee (SDAC) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/sdac/ 
			 Talk to Frank www.talktofrank.com 
			 The National Coordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development www.nccrcd.nhs.uk 
			 UK Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA) www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/ukxira/freedom.htm 
			 Valuing People Support Team www.valuingpeople.gov.uk 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/Carers/Carersweb.Nsf/vwWebHome www.info.doh.gov.uk/Carers/Carersweb.Nsf/vwWebHome 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/cfs/cfsusers.nsf/ www.info.doh.gov.uk/cfs/cfsusers.nsf/ 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/cmo/cmosur01.nsf/frmcmosurvey www.info.doh.gov.uk/cmo/cmosur01.nsf/frmcmosurvey 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nufusers.nsf/main?readform www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nufusers.nsf/main?readform

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which websites were operated by his Department in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Under the Transformational Government agenda, the Department completed an audit of the websites that it operated in March 2007. In addition to its two main websites:
	www.dh.gov.uk
	and
	www.nhs.uk
	it identified 224 websites. A copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	As at 26 January 2009, this figure had reduced to 91.
	To establish the number of websites operated between January 2004 and the Department's website audit would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Lost Property

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to recoup the value of Department property lost by officials from those officials.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to implement a policy to recoup the value of Department property lost by staff.

Departmental Lost Property

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether civil servants in his Department who have lost laptops that were the property of his Department have been charged the full value of the item in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: When a laptop is reported lost by a member of staff, the Department does not seek to charge that individual for the full replacement or residual value of the laptop.

Departmental Recycling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) paper,  (b) plastic and  (c) other waste was produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such waste was recycled.

Ben Bradshaw: Information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Tonnes  
			   Paper (including cardboard and newspapers)  Plastic  Other waste  Proportion of total waste recycled (Percentage) 
			 2005-06 316.3 0.6 54.3 88 
			 2006-07 300.0 1.5 55.1 89 
			 2007-08 280.2 1.8 56.7 88 
		
	
	These figures represent waste removed from the Department's London administrative estate. They differ from those shown in the annual Sustainable Development in Development (SDiG) report, published by the sustainable development commission, which also includes waste removed from the Department's Executive agencies. The buildings included are as follows:
	2005-06: Skipton House, Wellington House, Richmond House, Eileen House (closed July 2005), Hannibal House (closed September 2005).
	2006-07 and 2007-08: Skipton House, Wellington House, Richmond House, New Kingsbeam House (paper only; other waste is collected by the landlord's contractor).
	Waste from Quarry House in Leeds is collected by the Department for Work and Pensions contractor.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Ben Bradshaw: Most fast streamers' training is booked directly by the individual fast streamers themselves. The Department only records fast stream training that requires payment from the central training budget. To obtain a full record of all training that fast streamers have taken from external providers, would incur disproportionate costs.
	Over the last three years, the Department's human resources (HR) central records show that the generalist Fast Streamers have used the following providers:
	National School of Government
	Westminster Explained
	Government Exchange
	Suzanne James Associates
	Common Purpose
	Birmingham University
	Reed Training
	The Emergency Planning College
	Neil Stewart Associates
	Axon Solutions
	Penna plc
	Industry and Parliament Trust
	Eastmeade EU Training
	Hemsley Fraser Group
	Parity
	Department of Culture, Media and Sport
	Clutterbuck Associates
	3E Training
	Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
	Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
	The Department's HR division only took on oversight of training for specialist fast streamers in 2007 and therefore only information about the last two years is available. Prior to that fast stream training was not dealt with centrally and to obtain information before that would incur disproportionate costs.
	Over the past two years, the Department's HR records show that specialist fast streamers have used the following providers:
	National School of Government
	London School of Economics
	Luigi SicilianiUniversity of York
	Paul Kind Quality Outcomes
	Government Economic Service
	Birkbeck University
	University of Manchester
	Oxford University
	JHA HR Consultancy
	The Outlook Training Organisation
	Saxton Bampfylde
	Royal Statistical Society
	Government Statistical Society
	Imperial College
	Institute of Education
	HM Treasury
	Remarch Technologies
	University of London
	Brunei University
	Royal Economic Society
	Bath University
	University of Southampton
	Good decisions partnership
	Leeds University
	Office for National Statistics
	Cambridge Econometrics
	Modern Government.
	No records are held centrally about the number of civil servants in the Department who have participated in provision of training for external organisations, and would incur disproportionate cost to establish.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Ben Bradshaw: Training for staff within the Department is paid for by individual business units and this information is not held centrally.
	In addition, the Department has no record on its finance system of any payments to the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its agencies operate the flexible working hours scheme which aims to provide staff and line managers with as much flexibility as possible to accommodate their domestic and other responsibilities without impairing the efficient and effective running of the Department and its business.
	The scheme gives staff the opportunity to vary their times of arrival and departure from work, around core hours, vary the timing and length of their lunch break, and take time off in lieu if they work extra hours. These principles apply to all staff unless standard hours are in operation (such as where a team has to provide a customer service between certain times). There may be occasions when the operational needs of the work performed to be given priority. In such circumstances staff and line managers agree suitable arrangements. This scheme is managed locally by line managers, and therefore we do not hold central details.
	Part-time staff may choose to work additional hours if the arrangement meets operational needs. Staff are entitled to pay for additional hours above their normal part-time hours, up to the conditioned hours of the grade, when necessary for attending a training course. Line managers may allow time off in lieu to be taken as an alternative to payment subject to the needs of the work.
	Staff working additional hours at weekends and/or on public holidays outside contracted hours will be paid at the enhanced rates for all additional hours worked.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's flexible working hours scheme, which sets out how days off in lieu are earned, is managed locally by line managers using individual timesheets ('flexisheets').
	These records are therefore not held centrally and to collect them would incur disproportionate costs.

Dietary Supplements: EU Law

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions the Food Standards Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have had with the authorities in Jersey on implementation of the  (a) Food Supplements Directive,  (b) Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation and  (c) Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the progress of  (a) Jersey and  (b) Guernsey in ensuring their compliance with the (i) Foods Supplements Directive, (ii) Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation and (iii) Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was advised by the Government of Jersey on 28 January that work is progressing under its programme to update Jersey's food safety legislation. On the same date the Government of Guernsey advised the FSA that discussions at official level on implementing the food supplements directive are ongoing, but that priority is being given to drafting the secondary legislation necessary to ensure that the Medicines Directive 2001/83/EC, which will prohibit and allow enforcement action to be taken against food supplements marketed with medicinal claims, is fully implemented.
	Jersey and Guernsey officials had undertaken to work with companies based on the Islands to prevent the sale of food supplements that would be illegal in the United Kingdom. They have made visits to several companies to ensure that they are fully aware of relevant concerns. FSA officials continue to liaise with officials in Jersey and Guernsey to keep abreast of developments and on direct action with companies where examples of marketing of illegal products have been identified.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will be meeting the Government of Jersey on 11 February 2009 to begin discussions on the implementation of the medicines directive, including the implementation of the traditional herbal medicinal products directive. The MHRA continues to assist the Government of Guernsey in the development of the additional legislation required for the implementation of the medicines directive.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for drug rehabilitation in Crosby; what the budget was for the drug action team in Crosby in 2007-08; and how many people have been seen by the drug action team in each year since 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: The Crosby area is served by the Sefton Drug Action Team (DAT), which is the partnership responsible for delivering the drug strategy at a local level.
	The funding of local drug treatment services is the responsibility of local primary care trusts (PCTs). The Department, in association with a small contribution from the Ministry of Justice, provide specific resources, through the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB), to local partnerships for drug treatment services. In 2007-08, the Sefton area DAT spent 5,514,382 (PTB and local national health service investment) on drug services.
	The number of people of Sefton residents in contact with structured drug treatment in each year since 2003 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of People 
			 2003-04 1,157 
			 2004-05 1,411 
			 2005-06 1,579 
			 2006-07 1,568 
			 2007-08 1,748 
			  Source:  National Drug Treatment Monitoring System, The National Treatment Agency for substance misuse 
		
	
	Waiting times are monitored quarterly by the National Treatment Agency's North West regional team.

Health Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of use of the NHS by people who have no right to free treatment.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, set out the criteria for eligibility for free NHS hospital care. It is the legal responsibility of all hospital trusts to ensure that the eligibility of all patients seeking treatment is confirmed and, if they are not eligible for free health care, that the appropriate charges for treatment are levied and subsequently recovered. The Department has provided comprehensive guidance on implementation of the charging regulations to help the NHS to discharge their responsibilities. Most hospitals employ staff specifically to undertake these duties.
	We are committed to taking the strongest possible action to tackle abuse in NHS, including that committed by foreign nationals. The NHS Counter Fraud Service will thoroughly investigate allegations of fraud and also take steps to ensure that, wherever possible, fraud is prevented from occurring in the first place.
	The Department is satisfied that these procedures ensure that the regulations are applied fairly and effectively, and that there has been no recent evidence that would justify any further assessment of levels of abuse at this time.

Health Services: Public Consultation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to launch the public consultation on access to healthcare for foreign nationals.

Ann Keen: The Department and Home Office are jointly reviewing the rules on access of foreign nationals to national health service medical services. This review is ongoing and no decisions have yet been made on the very complex and inter-connecting issues under consideration. A public consultation will take place once the review is complete, giving everyone an opportunity to comment on the proposals.

HIV Infection: Fees and Charges

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 to specify HIV as a condition exempt from charging.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, already state that diagnostic testing for HIV and any associated counselling is free of charge to all irrespective of their residency status. Overseas visitors not eligible for free hospital treatment are required to pay the full costs of any HIV treatment beyond the initial test and counselling. A review of access to the national health service by foreign nationals, including consideration of the diseases for which no charge is to be made for treatment, is currently ongoing. This is expected to be subject to a full consultation exercise shortly.

HIV Infection: Life Expectancy

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) months and  (b) years on average patients with HIV/AIDS have survived following their diagnosis with HIV in the last 20 years.

Dawn Primarolo: A recently published article in the  Lancet (2008; 372:293-99) provides estimates of life expectancy for HIV-infected adults receiving combination antiretroviral therapy. It is based on analysis of over 43,000 patients from industrialised countries, including some from the United Kingdom. The median life expectancy for such patients was 63 years for those diagnosed at age 20 and 67 years for those diagnosed at age 35.
	Figures are not available for each of the last 20 years, but the estimated life expectancy increased between the first period studied in the research (1996-99) and the last (2003-05). For those patients starting combination therapy at age 20, life expectancy increased from an estimated 56.1 years in 1996-99 to 69.4 years in 2003-05. Equivalent figures at age 35 are from 60 years to 72.3 years.

Hospital Beds

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adult and  (b) child respite beds there are per head of population in each health authority area.

Phil Hope: The Department does not collect data on the number of respite beds centrally.

Hospitals: Admissions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions were made to hospital wards on referral from accident and emergency units in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not centrally collect the number of admissions made to hospital wards on referral from accident and emergency (A and E) units for Hemel Hempstead, however data are collected for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust which provides A and E services at Hemel Hempstead and Watford General Hospital. This information together with data for England in the latest period for which figures are available is set out as follows.
	
		
			  Admissions through accident and emergency departments, NHS organisations in England, 2008-09 July to September (Q2)( 1) 
			  Org code  Name  Admissions through A and E 
			  England 788,375 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4,551 
			 (1) Status: Published 14 November 2008.  Notes: 1. Data are collected at trust level rather than individual hospitals. 2. West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust provides A and E services at Hemel Hempstead General Hospital and Watford General Hospital. West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust also provides a Type 3 A and E departmentother type of A and E/minor injury unit at St. Albans City Hospital, however this did not have any admissions through A and E.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMAE

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department sources a national press cuttings service via a framework agreement used by various Government Departments. As such, the value of the 'contract' cannot be established in full; although a breakdown of costs incurred during the financial years 2003-04 to 2007-08 is given in the following table. Daily cuttings from the national press have been provided by EDS Media since 1 July 2007. Before July 2007 national press cuttings were provided by Durrants, whose contract commenced in April 2003.
	
		
			   
			   Organisation 
			   EDS Media  Durrants 
			 2003-04 0 64,094.11 
			 2004-05 0 65,236.39 
			 2005-06 0 110,476,20 
			 2006-07 0 132,006.82 
			 2007-08 66,196.04 37,864.27 
		
	
	Regional press cuttings are sourced from TNS Media Intelligence via a rolling agreement. A breakdown of costs incurred during the period 2003-04 to 2007-08 is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Organisation: TNS Media Intelligence 
			   
			 2003-04 38,677.11 
			 2004-05 22,696.30 
			 2005-06 47,273.79 
			 2006-07 54,720.13 
			 2007-08 26,066.61 
		
	
	The Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) is based in the Central Office of Information and provides a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year monitoring service of broadcast and print media. They provide summaries throughout the day and overnight of key government-related stories and also transcripts of interviews on request. Records of the costs incurred start from the financial year 2004-05 and a breakdown is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Organisation: MMU 
			   
			 2004-05 67,729.19 
			 2005-06 105,149.48 
			 2006-07 115,504.42 
			 2007-08 113,657.75 
		
	
	The figures quoted in the tables above are all inclusive of VAT.

Medical Records: Internet

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people in early adopter areas have registered for an advanced account with HealthSpace; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Patients are eligible for an advanced HealthSpace account once their general practitioner practice has created their summary care record (SCR). Information on the uptake to date of advanced HealthSpace accounts in each of the primary care trust (PCT) SCR early adopter areas is in the following table:
	
		
			  PCT area  Registered accounts  Registered accounts as a percentage of patients with a SCR 
			 Bury 210 0.21 
			 Bolton 93 0.13 
			 Bradford 20 0.1 
			 Dorset 601 (1)  
			 (1 )Uploading of summary care records has not yet started in Dorset. In future, the facility to register for an advanced HealthSpace account will only be made available once uploading of summary care records has begun.

Mental Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on the demand for mental health services.

Phil Hope: The Department has not commissioned research on the impact of the economic downturn on levels of demand for mental health services. However, we recognise that there are links between poor mental health and difficult economic circumstances and, in the current climate it is understandable that people might worry more about their finances and employment. Mental health services in England are now better prepared than ever before to provide help for these people.
	Since 2001-02, real terms investment in adult mental health services increased by 44 per cent. (or 1.7 billion) putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. The NHS spent 5.53 billion on these services in 2007-08 (3.844 billion in 2001-02).
	We now have 64 per cent. more consultant psychiatrists, 71 per cent. more clinical psychologists and 21 per cent. more mental health nurses than we had in 1997, providing better care and support for people with mental health problems. (Full-time equivalent).
	Because of the National Service Framework and increased funding, we now have over 740 new community mental health teams offering home treatment, early intervention, or intensive support for people who might otherwise have been admitted to hospital.
	Further, we are investing significantly in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme with annual funding rising to 173 million in the third year (2010-11), to train 3,600 extra therapists and treat 900,000 more people in those three years.
	This programme is relieving distress and transforming lives by offering effective intervention and treatment choice to people with depression and anxiety disorders and improving the collection, recording and measuring of patients' health outcomes.
	35 new services were launched last month, with more than 800 therapy workers now offering this support to people who need it.

Mental Health Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the care of people with mental health problems regarding service redesign and strengthening local partnerships across traditional organisational boundaries in  (a) England and  (b) the Sefton Primary Care Trust.

Phil Hope: Specialist care is now often provided in the community, through multi-disciplinary community mental health teams, which give general long-term care, and three specialist teams, each the subject of national targets over the last five years:
	crisis resolution/home treatment teams provide intensive support for people in mental health crisis in their own home, reducing the need to be admitted to hospital;
	assertive outreach teams engage with people with severe and persistent mental illness with complex needs who have difficulty engaging with services and often require repeat admissions to hospitals; and
	early intervention teams provide services to those experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
	Further, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is rolling out across England, training a new workforce of therapists to help the national health service implement the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of common mental health conditions of depression and anxiety disorders. 35 primary care trusts (PCTs) are launching their IAPT services in this first year and have recruited more than 800 trainees. There is 33 million funding available in this first year. More PCTs will follow in each of the next two years as a further 140 million in funding is released and we expect Sefton PCT to be developing an IAPT service in the second year.
	IAPT services build strong ties with local employment services, helping people stay in or return to work if mental health problems have put their job at risk or prevented them getting one while they have been unwell.
	The North West strategic health authority (SHA) reports that Sefton PCT proposes to spend around 31 million on mental health services in 2008-09. A similar amount was spent in 2007-08.
	The PCT has been awarded Improved Access to Psychological Therapy development site status from 1 April 2009, which should bring with it additional resource to develop services for people with common mental health problems.
	The SHA also reports that services commissioned from Mersey Care Trust are achieving key performance indicators for crisis resolution/home treatment, early intervention in psychosis and assertive outreach services.
	Jointly with the local authority, the PCT has commissioned the required number of black and ethnic minority community development workers who are located within the Sefton Equalities Partnership.

NHS East Midlands: Parking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the workplace parking charges being introduced by Nottingham City Council will be required to be paid by staff of  (a) NHS East Midlands and  (b) the Commission for Social Care Inspection in whole or in part where those staff work in offices located within the workplace parking charging zone.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for Nottingham city council in discussion with relevant stakeholders.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009, what proportion of the repayment costs for each trust reflect  (a) repayment of the capital value and  (b) service and other charges; and what the total for each trust is of the additional charges which have been levied through the relevant private finance initiative contract.

Ben Bradshaw: Unitary payments on private finance initiative (PFI) schemes are structured and priced to deliver an integrated service. It is not therefore possible to precisely identify costs attributable to each expenditure category.
	However, analysis undertaken by officials on a sample of PFI schemes showed that the provision of 'soft' facilities management (FM) services (e.g. catering, cleaning, portering) made up on average 26 per cent. of the unitary payment; 'hard' FM services (building maintenance) on average 20 per cent. Costs to the private sector in management fees (administering the special purpose vehicles or 'project companies') and taking out insurance on the new facilities account for another approximately 4 per cent. Repayment of the annualised total financing debt (i.e. the capital cost and borrowing charges) accounted for on average 50 per cent. of the unitary payment.
	There are no additional charges levied under a signed PFI contract private. The payment mechanism in a contract contains a volume element under which the quantity of variable items such as meals or linen provided is directly related to the throughput of patients, so where the volume of services are above those initially stated in the PFI contract, trusts will make additional payments. Under a 'variation of services' clause in the contract, trusts can also require a change to the contract, for example, to increase capacity, which is charged for through an increase to the unitary payment.

Organs: Donors

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government plan to make changes to the conditions which determine who receives organs donated by those carrying a donor card.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to change the conditions which determine who receives organs from deceased donors, including those who carry a donor card. The system of allocation differs according to the type of organ, whether it is a heart, lung, kidney, or liver. Patients waiting for a heart or liver who are classified as urgent are given priority. This is because their life expectancy without a transplant can be measured in days or even hours. If there are no urgent patients on the waiting list, the organ is offered for patients on the non-urgent list who are nearest in age and blood group to the donor. The location of donor and recipient is also considered to minimise the delay between retrieving and transplanting organs.

Psychiatry

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychotherapists are employed by each primary care trust in  (a) the East Midlands and  (b) England.

Phil Hope: The numbers of psychotherapists in England and those employed by each East Midlands primary care trust (PCT) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Non-medical qualified psychotherapy staff and medical and dental staff within the psychotherapy specialty in England and the East Midlands strategic health authority area by organisation as at 30 September 2007 
			   Non-medical qualified psychotherapy staff  All medical and dental staff within the psychotherapy specialty 
			 England 1,255 150 
			 of which:   
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority Area 41 12 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust 11 1 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 11 7 
			 Lincolnshire Healthcare NHS Trust 6 1 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust 8 (1) 
			 The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 1 (1) 
			 ( 1)  Denotes zero:  Source: The Information Centre for Health And Social Care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Supporting People Programme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include proposals on the Supporting People programme in his forthcoming Green Paper on social care.

Phil Hope: The Government will publish a Green Paper on care and support reform in spring 2009.
	The reaction from stakeholders and the public to various key questions was tested during an engagement process from May until November 2008. The Department clearly put Supporting People within the scope of this engagement by referring to it in The case for change - Why England needs a new care and support system, which was published in May 2008. A copy has been placed in the Library. The Supporting People programme was mentioned in the document as one of the wide range of services which, taken together, enable people to live as independently as possible.
	The views and comments received during the engagement will help inform the Green Paper and a report of the findings will be published with it. We do not intend to comment on the content of the Green Paper until it is published.

X-Ray Scanners

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanners used to carry out NHS-commissioned scans there are in each  (a) strategic health authority and  (b) primary trust in England; and what the location of each is.

Ben Bradshaw: Data for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners are not collected.

X-Ray Scanners

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to primary care trusts on referring patients for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The National Service Framework for Older People recommends that those patients identified as being at high risk of developing osteoporosis, or an osteoporotic fracture, should be referred for assessment of their bone mineral density, measurable by use of a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, in accordance with guidance issued by the Royal College of Physicians'Osteoporosis: Clinical Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment'.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

British Energy: EDF Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 19WS, on EDF takeover, whether the 4.42 billion dedicated to the Nuclear Liabilities Fund paid on 19 January by Electricit de France EDF may be used for decontamination of radioactively polluted land on British energy sites; and whether title to the plutonium owned by British Energy has been transferred to EDF as part of the takeover.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The assets of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF) will be used to meet certain decommissioning costs and uncontracted liabilities attaching to existing nuclear power plants operated by British Energy. To the extent that any radioactively polluted land is identified during the decommissioning process, decontamination would be paid for by the NLF if it qualified for payment under the terms of the restructuring agreements. Otherwise it would fall to the account of British Energy.
	Title to the plutonium owned by British Energy remains with British Energy Generation Limited (BEG). Title will not transfer to EDF as part of the takeover. However, as a result of the takeover the shares in BEG are now controlled, indirectly, by EDF.

Carbon Sequestration

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the power generation companies on carbon capture and storage in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Since the creation of the Department in October 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met with senior members of the power generation industry in the course of business to discuss energy issues. Carbon capture and storage is one of the areas that has been discussed among others.

Coal: Prices

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the effect of rising energy prices on people who rely on coal as their main energy source.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The Department does not carry out separate analysis to quantify the effect of rising energy prices on domestic coal users. However, in 2006, around 101,000 households in England that relied on coal and other solid fuel as their primary source for central heating were fuel poor, around 46 per cent. of all such households. This is a slight increase from 45 per cent. of all households reliant on solid fuel central heating in 2005 (or 106,000 households).

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 109W, on departmental buildings, what costs have been incurred in moving staff into 3 Whitehall Place.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has spent 54,000 to date on moving staff to 3 Whitehall Place.

Departmental Internet

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget for his Department's website is for 2008-09; and how many of his Department's staff are employed to manage the website.

Mike O'Brien: The current DECC website was put in place at no cost as a temporary measure while a new site for the Department is developed. This current site provides links to the BERR and DEFRA websites where policy content for Energy and Climate Change issues continues to be hosted. 45,000 has so far been allocated for the replacement site for 2008-09. One member of staff is currently employed in managing the website.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department since its inception; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case.

Mike O'Brien: The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Once the Transfer of Function Order related to the creation of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has come into force, DECC will sponsor a number of advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which provide independent expert advice on a number of issues. Appointments to NDPBs are governed by the principles set out in the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice. Summary information is published in 'Public Bodies' which can be accessed on line at
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies
	or copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
	Summary information on the political activity of individuals appointed to posts regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice is published each year in the Commissioner's Annual Report.
	In addition, the Government publish on an annual basis the names and numbers of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS. DECC will be covered in future such returns.

Electricity Generation

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1002W, on electricity generation, what percentage of electricity production in 2007 was from each of the sources classified as other fuels.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	 Of the 3.1 per cent. of electricity generation in the United Kingdom attributable to fuels other than coal, gas, nuclear and renewables, 1.2 percentage points were from oil, 1.0 percentage point was from pumped storage, 0.2 percentage points from non-biodegradable wastes, and 0.7 percentage points from coke oven gas, blast furnace gas and waste products from chemical processes. The source of these statistics is the Digest of United Kingdom Energy statistics 2008 a copy of which is available in the Library of the House and also at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/page45537.html.

Electricty Generation: Nuclear Power

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1002W, on electricity generation, what the UK's capacity for electricity production from nuclear energy was in 2007; and how much electricity was produced from nuclear energy in that year.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The generating capacity of nuclear plant in the UK at the end of December 2007 was 10,979 MW, compared with 10,969 MW at the end of December 2006. Electricity generated at these nuclear stations during 2007 amounted to 63,028 GWh. The source of these statistics is the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2008, Tables 5.6 and 5.7, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House and also at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/page45537.html.

Energy: Prices

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the adequacy of publicity highlighting reduced domestic energy tariffs under the Government's agreements with the energy utilities.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 16 December 2008
	 : Energy suppliers offer a range of help to their most vulnerable customers such as social tariffs, trust funds and rebates. In April, they agreed with the Government to increase their spend on social assistance and this year they will be spending collectively 100 million, rising to 125 million next year and 150 million by 2011.
	In order to facilitate the role of advice organisations, switching sites and other intermediaries in making information available to their clients about social tariffs and other assistance, suppliers agreed in the Fuel Poverty Summit organised by Ofgem in April to provide greater visibility of their offers.
	Subsequently Ofgem sought advice from key consumer organisations regarding what information suppliers should include on their websites. Following this process, all suppliers now have relevant information on their websites about their social tariffs and programmes and a contact phone number for consumers to check their eligibility.
	Early indication from suppliers is that since this time last year the numbers of customer accounts on social tariffs have at least doubled and will exceed the 600,000 customer accounts originally suppliers estimated that would benefit this winter. This is a good indication of the level of awareness of the assistance suppliers offer, although the Department does not monitor the suppliers' publicity activity directly.

Energy: Prices

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will seek discussions with energy suppliers regarding the availability of social tariffs to cancer patients;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of people with a cancer diagnosis who are living in fuel poverty.

Mike O'Brien: The information as to how many people with a cancer diagnosis are living in fuel poverty is not available. People with a cancer diagnosis are classified as long-term sick and the detailed tables of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, Sixth Annual Progress Report 2008, available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file48038.pdf
	show the number of households containing somebody who is disabled or long-term. These show that in England in 2006, there were around 915,000 fuel-poor households containing somebody who was disabled or long-term sick, however this number does not show how many of these households may contain someone who suffers from cancer.
	In respect of social tariffs, suppliers do not record information regarding customers who may suffer from cancer. A number of them do, however, work with voluntary organisations, such as Macmillan Cancer Support, to identify those most vulnerable to fuel poverty.

Energy: Prices

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he has taken to encourage energy companies to lower the gas prices they charge to consumers.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has met with major energy suppliers and has strongly encouraged them to lower prices to consumers as a matter of urgency. Wholesale gas prices peaked last summer and have now fallen, though not back to 2007 levels. It is important that consumers begin to see the benefits of those lower wholesale prices, and that people can have confidence that they are being treated fairly by suppliers.
	Ofgem have been asked to publish quarterly reports on wholesale and retail prices. This will deliver greater transparency over future prices.

Fossil Fuels

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK energy demand that was met from fossil fuel sources in each year since 1990.

Mike O'Brien: The following table shows the proportion of UK energy demand met from fossil fuel sources (coal, petroleum and gas). Data are derived from table 1.1.1 of the internet annex to the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2008.
	
		
			   Fossil fuel use (Percentage) 
			 1990 91.4 
			 1991 90.9 
			 1992 90.3 
			 1993 88.8 
			 1994 88.7 
			 1995 88.6 
			 1996 88.9 
			 1997 88.1 
			 1998 88.3 
			 1999 88.6 
			 2000 89.9 
			 2001 89.6 
			 2002 89.6 
			 2003 89.9 
			 2004 90.3 
			 2005 89.9 
			 2006 90.3 
			 2007 91.3

Fuel Poverty

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people benefiting from and  (b) the average benefit received from each social tariff scheme operated by energy supply companies in the UK;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1144W, on energy supply: fuel poverty, when he expects Ofgem to publish its report on the social programmes undertaken by energy supply companies.

Mike O'Brien: Ofgem published its first Review of Suppliers' Voluntary Initiatives to Help Vulnerable Customers on 6 August 2007, which covered the period to July 2007. Ofgem updated this report in October 2007. Both reports can be found online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Documents1/Review%20of%20suppliers%20voluntary%20mitiatives.pdf
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction//Suppliers/CSR/Documentsl/CSRupdate_open_letter_23507.pdf
	The October update report shows that the number of gas and electricity customer accounts benefiting from each social tariff scheme and the average benefit received from each social tariff scheme was as follows:
	
		
			   As at 31 August 2007 
			  Supplier  Tariff name  Customer accounts on tariff  Total savings (   million)  Average saving per customer account (  ) 
			 British Gas Essentials (Gas) 197,000 13.6 69 
			  Essentials (Electricity) 83,000 1.9 22 
			  Total  15.5 92 
			  
			 EDF Energy Energy Assist (Gas) 14,825 l.3 87 
			  Energy Assist (Electricity) 45,154 2.4 54 
			  Total  3.7 140 
			  
			 Npower First Step (Gas) 1,042 0.05 48 
			  First step (Electricity) 1,415 0.11 75 
			  Total  0.16 124 
			  
			 Powergen Staywarm 10,373 4.4 424 
			  
			 Scottish Power No social tariff currently offered
			  
			 SSE EnergyPlus (Gas) 4,983 0.57 115 
			  EnergyPlus (Electricity) 7,538 0.54 71 
			  Total  1.1 186 
		
	
	Ofgem is planning to publish an update to its October 2007 review before the end of the year. This will cover the period from 31 March 2007 to 1 April 2008,
	Following the announcement in Budget 2008, energy suppliers agreed to increase the amount they spend on social programmes. This year they will be spending collectively 100 million, rising to 125 million in 2009-10 and 150 million in 2010-11. Suppliers have only provided forecast numbers for the first time for 2008, which show that around 600,000 customer accounts are expected to be on social tariffs this winter. The actual number of customer accounts on social tariffs during the first year of the voluntary agreement and the benefit per customer account will be published in Ofgem's next reporting cycle in 2009.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many claims for  (a) miners' hearing loss,  (b) vibration white finger and  (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were paid to residents of Houghton and Washington East constituency in each of the last six years.

Mike O'Brien: The number of payments made for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), vibration white finger (VWF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Houghton and Washington East constituency as at 18 January 2009 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of payments made 
			  Claim  pre- 2003  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Total 
			 NIHL 181 55 32 48 20 0 4 0 340 
			 VWF 581 200 211 145 240 418 118 0 1,913 
			 COPD 470 539 783 1,597 1,290 774 284 13 5,750

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many claims for compensation for respiratory disease brought under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme have been settled under the fast track procedure  (a) by way of expedited payment and  (b) under the live optional risk scheme since 1 January 2004 in which Avalon Solicitors, Warrington, have been the claimant's representatives in each parliamentary constituency in respect of which legal proceedings have been concluded.

Mike O'Brien: I am today placing in the Libraries of the House a table indicating how each of the settled claims for which Avalon Solicitors have been the claimant's representatives, were concluded, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in settling coal health claims for surface workers in the mining industry.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	 In February 2006, my right hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North (Malcolm Wicks) as Minister responsible, undertook to look at any generic lessons that arise from the conclusion of a trial of a sample of test cases. Following a court order agreed in July 2007 this cohort of surface workers has now been narrowed to around 5,800 claims identified by solicitors of men who worked in Coal Preparation Plants (CPP) on the surface.
	Four lead cases have been identified by claimant representatives and are now being progressed towards trial. That trial will begin in November 2009.

Industrial Injuries: Compensation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to recover from Jim Beresford and Douglas Smith of Beresfords Solicitors the monies they accrued improperly in processing personal injury claims under the Coal Health Compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Ministers have consistently demanded that solicitors who have unfairly taken a proportion of miners' compensation repay the money. However, the issue of solicitor conduct is a matter for the Law Society and I welcome the progress being made by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in investigating these cases. Once the detailed ruling of the SDT hearing into Jim Beresford and Douglas Smith is published, the Department will consider the issue further. The Ministry of Justice has helped to coordinate action to address this abuse and has taken action to ensure quicker redress of complaints in the future.
	Both DECC and the Ministry of Justice continue to support the Legal Complaints Service in their programme to highlight the issue with coal health compensation claimants and Ministers will be meeting the Legal Complaints Service and the Solicitor Regulation Authority in March to review their progress on this important issue.

Industrial Injuries: Compensation

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much compensation for  (a) respiratory disease and  (b) vibration white finger has been paid in total to former miners in Wansdyke constituency.

Mike O'Brien: The total amount of damages paid to former miners or their families for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is 4.2 million; and for vibration white finger is 8,550 in Wansdyke constituency as at 22 January 2009.

Industrial Injuries: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what venues were used as health testing centres by his Department for the administration of medical tests under the coal health compensation scheme; and at what cost to his Department such venues were used.

Mike O'Brien: The medical test centres used under the coal health compensation schemes are shown in the following lists.
	the total medical costs for chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are 404.64 million; and for vibration white finger are 34.95 million as at December 2008. We are unable to breakdown these figures by medical test centres.
	 Coal health claimsmedical assessments centres
	COPDmedical assessment locations
	Wrexham;
	Swansea;
	Stirling;
	Ystrad Mynach;
	Chesterfield;
	Leicester;
	Deal;
	Manchester;
	Ayr;
	Carlton Square;
	Lochore;
	Mexborough;
	Cwmbran;
	Pontefract;
	Trentham;
	Wakefield;
	Ammanford;
	Durham;
	Edinburgh;
	Leigh;
	Mansfield;
	Cannock;
	Cudworth;
	Glasgow;
	Gateshead;
	Mountain Ash;
	Stoke;
	Leigh;
	Barnsley;
	Wrexham;
	Newcastle;
	Huddersfield;
	Sheffield;
	Coventry;
	Salford;
	Nottingham;
	Newport;
	Leeds;
	Hamilton.
	COPDmobile test centres
	Arundel;
	Ayr;
	Blackpool;
	Bridlington;
	Bristol;
	Bury St. Edmunds;
	Cramlington;
	Coventry;
	Didcott
	Doncaster;
	Dunfermline;
	Exeter;
	Gloucester;
	Hertford;
	Hessle;
	Horncastle;
	Isle of Wight;
	Leicester;
	Newquay;
	Norwich;
	Nottingham;
	Poole;
	Sheffield;
	Stafford;
	Sittingbourne;
	Southampton;
	St. Austell;
	Winscombe;
	Whitehaven;
	Wrexham.
	VWFmedical assessment locations
	Barnsley;
	Birmingham;
	Carlton;
	Derby;
	Doncaster;
	Newcastle;
	Canterbury;
	Manchester;
	Mansfield;
	Nottingham;
	Sheffield;
	Sheikh;
	Stoke;
	Wakefield;
	Edinburgh;
	Glasgow;
	Cardiff;
	Swansea;
	London.

Industrial Injuries: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been paid by his Department to Nabarro Nathanson for handling issues related to miners' industrial diseases since 1995.

Mike O'Brien: From April 1999 to October 2008, the Department and its predecessors spent 28.7 million + VAT in relation to Nabarro's fees across all mining-related industrial disease claims. But note this excludes all Counsel costs, expert fees, cost draftsman's fees and foreign lawyer's fees.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the International Renewable Energy Agency to the development of renewable energy.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	To achieve our global climate change goals we need to accelerate rapidly the deployment of renewable sources of energy and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has the potential to make a significant contribution to that work.
	The Founding Conference of the IRENA was held on 26 January 2009 and IRENA will be formally constituted when 25 countries have ratified the IRENA statutes. An initial work programme and budget have also to be agreed. It is therefore a little early to be able to make a detailed assessment of the contribution that IRENA might make in the future.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration the Government have given to joining the International Renewable Energy Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	We have been very keen on joining and have been in close contact with the German Government on the details of the new organisation.
	During 2008 we participated fully in the process for establishing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and we participated at the founding conference on 26 January and the first session of the Preparatory Commission of IRENA on 27 January 2009.
	We have been talking to Germany about how IRENA can contribute to the roll-out and deployment of renewables and how we can help to get other countries such as Canada, China, Japan, India and the US to join. We are also talking about how we can make sure that IRENA works closely with, and avoids overlap and duplication with, other international bodies and organisations, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), of which the UK is already a member.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grants have been made by the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in each year since the fund was created; and how much was paid in such grants in each of those years.

Mike O'Brien: Two grants have been made to EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre) from the infrastructure support budget category of the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund. A total payment of 831,000 was made in 2005-06 and 300,000 in 2006-07.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications for grants have been received by the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in each year since the fund was created.

Mike O'Brien: The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF) received two grant applications for infrastructure support, one in 2005 and one in 2006. Both applications were approved. We also received two applications for support in 2006 from the Wave and Tidal-stream Energy Demonstration scheme. However neither application met the eligibility criterion of three months' continuous operation of a full-scale prototype.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many projects have received funding from the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund, broken down by  (a) nation and  (b) region.

Mike O'Brien: Seven projects have been supported by the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund; six have been research related and the other infrastructure support. The projects are broken down by  (a) nation and  (b) region below:
	
		
			  (a) Nation 
			   Number of projects 
			 England 1 
			 Scotland 6 
			 Wales 0 
			 Northern Ireland 0 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Region 
			   Number of projects 
			 London 1 
			 Edinburgh 2 
			 Orkney 3 
			 Aberdeen 1

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 24 October 2008 from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford on Ms S Harman of Chelmsford; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 15 January 2009
	 I responded to the hon. Member on 19 January 2009. I apologise for the delay in replying.

Mining: Equal Pay

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in settling claims for equal pay from cleaners and canteen workers in the mining industry.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 January 2009
	 I am pleased to confirm that liability has been discharged in respect of all traceable, valid claims.
	Although careful consideration was given to those British Coal canteen workers and cleaners who did not lodge valid claims within the time limits of the employment tribunal, it would not be deemed to have been appropriate to make an exception.

National Grid: Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by the Government on  (a) maintenance and  (b) new capital projects in respect of the national grid in each of the last 20 years.

Mike O'Brien: Following the privatisation of the GB electricity industry under the Electricity Act 1989 National Grid, the Scottish Transmission Companies and the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) have been responsible for maintaining, building and reinforcing the transmission and distribution networks.
	Since then the Government have not funded either regular maintenance or new capital projects for the Grid.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much spent nuclear fuel was transported through Shropshire  (a) to and  (b) from the installations at (i) Sellafield and (ii) Wylfa in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 January 2009
	 I am advised that the answer is none.

Renewable Energy

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK's international competitiveness of the more effective promotion of renewable energy industries by other countries.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The UK is committed to an ambitious tenfold expansion in the share of renewable energy in its energy mix in order to meet its 15 per cent. renewable energy target by 2020, and will be publishing a comprehensive Renewable Energy Strategy in the summer.
	The development of renewables and the more general transition to a low-carbon economy will lead to significant business and employment opportunities. The Government's aim is to secure a disproportionate share of these jobs for the UK, providing the right frameworks and support for UK companies and attracting inward investment.
	The development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in other countries will help the global battle against climate change and renewable deployment abroad could also help reduce the costs of these technologies and hence improve the UK's competitiveness as they are deployed here.

Sellafield: Insurance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what date he was informed that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority planned to propose that the proposed insurance indemnification to be granted to the new management tier for Sellafield should be made available for prior scrutiny only to certain hon. Members in July 2008.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) did not exist when decisions on the Sellafield nuclear indemnity were taken; it was then the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).
	I am told that my right hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North (Malcolm Wicks) the then Minister for Energy wrote to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee on 9 June 2008 providing him with advance notice and background information on the intention to seek approval in July for a nuclear indemnity for the preferred bidder for the Sellafield competition. While all the bidders would require an indemnity to proceed to contract, it was not possible to submit an indemnity for scrutiny any earlier because the details were subject to competitive tension and evaluation within the competition process.

Tidal Power: Expenditure

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on wave and tidal renewable energy technologies in  (a) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency,  (b) the North East,  (c) England and  (d) the UK in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change provides funding for demonstration and deployment of commercial scale wave and tidal energy technologies under the marine renewables deployment fund (MRDF). Following is a breakdown of expenditure excluding VAT in the last 12 months:
	
		
			(excluding VAT) 
			 Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland 0 
			 North-east England 0 
			 England 24,943 
			 UK 54,887 
		
	
	The Government also provide financial support for research and development into wave and tidal energy technologies through the Research Councils' Supergen Marine initiative, the Carbon Trust, the Technology Strategy Board and the Energy Technology Institute.

Wind Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of the depreciation of sterling on  (a) investment in and  (b) the costs of (i) the London Array and (ii) other major offshore renewable energy projects; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	Investment in renewables projects such as offshore wind is determined by a wide number of factors of which the exchange rate is only one. The Government are working to create the right conditions for rapid deployment of renewable energyboth to meet challenging climate change goals and maintain energy security. We are the leading country in the world for operational offshore wind farms, and with over 440 megawatts under construction, we are set to remain so in 2009. The UK remains an attractive market for offshore wind and companies continue to invest, with more than 90 UK and international companies registering their interest with the Crown Estate for round three.
	It would be inappropriate to give a running ministerial commentary on how currency movements affect commercial investments by private companies like those involved in the London Array.